Ed, Edd n Eddy Skyrim: Return of the Dragons
by ToonGamer
Summary: After the events of the Big Picture Show, the Eds were finally accepted by their neighbors as friends and with it the cul-de-sac was now able to experience its first moment of peace in a long time. But it all changes when a devastating event leads them to a whole new world that they must save; one which is far more real than they thought.
1. Prologue

A/N: Please visit my profile for announcements and news on updates.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ed, Edd n Eddy or Skyrim **

**Prologue**

Life is full of surprises. You never know what is going to happen and it can affect anyone in some way. It could be something so small that it just fades away from memory or something so big that it changes their lives forever. And not just to a single person, but to a whole group of people and maybe even the world. Take the town of Peach Creek for example. This large suburb on the east coast of North America saw a lot of things in its long history, and yet one of its most unique moments is only known in a cul-de-sac on the edge of town. It involves three young boys, all of whom had similar sounding names. Despite their differences, their unlikely friendship grew through their ability to work together on big projects, in their aim to become popular in the cul-de-sac and to acquire their favourite confectionary, jawbreakers. Sadly, their "projects" tend to involve scamming the other kids in the neighbourhood out of their money. And trying to be friends with the people you are trying to con isn't a good way to be popular. Throughout most of their childhood, the trio tried to succeed in their quest, but with no success.

It was one particular summer that changed everything. On the first day of their 3 month school holiday, the trio began it with an inaugural scam. Nobody knew what it was back then or even today, but what happened after is defiantly understood. It caused so much pain and destruction to the rest of the neighbourhood kids that they decided to get rid of them for good. Years of anarchy caused by their scams were bad enough, but their most recent one was the last straw. This led the trio and all the other youths in the neighbourhood to chase after them in the surrounding towns and countryside; until they ended up at an amusement park near the ocean. The trio's leader hoped that his older brother, who was living there, would protect him; only for him to be revealed not as his role model, but as a bully. His brutality was so shocking, that those who wanted to hurt him began to defend him and after a fierce struggle, they defeated the bully. The trio's leader confessed that he lied about his brother's false fame in order to be accepted by everyone in the neighbourhood. Not only that, but he also apologised to the other kids for all his misguided wrong doing and that he simply wanted to be their friends. To the trio's surprise, the once angry mob forgave them. With their old rivalries aside, they returned home to celebrate what was bound to be the best summer of their childhoods.

Several years later, things were now better than ever; especially as more people moved to Peach Creek when the rest of the houses in the neighbourhood were finally built. Everybody was thinking about their futures and what lay ahead for them. Yet during this time, archaeologists were continuing to excavate a major dig site in the Scandinavian mountains and a major discovery was finally going to be uncovered that would change the world and redirect the lives of the cul-de-sac's young teens forever.


	2. Chapter 1

Another fine summer's day was beginning as the sun rose over the horizon and shone onto the cul-de-sac. In a blue house on the left-hand side of the neighbourhood entrance, a young man exited his home ready to start the day. He was wearing an orange t-shirt, purple shorts and black ski with white stripes on either side.

His name was Edd or "Double D" as his friends called him. Being an educated and inventive genius, he was the brains of the group, but it came at a price. When he's not chatting or playing with his friends, he spends all of his spare time studying and inventing; leaving him with no time to work on improving his strength, which has resulted with him being one of the skinniest and weakest people in the neighbourhood. He was also a law-abiding citizen and very hygienic, which he takes very seriously and sometimes to extreme limits.

With his all-purpose suitcase he headed to his friend's house to prepare for the trio's movie marathon. He quickly approached a green-coloured house at the dead end of the cul-de-sac and arrived at a basement window. Just as he stopped; a tall bloke with crew cut hair and monobrow in a green trench coat, red and white stripped t-shirt and purplish-blue pants climbed through the window flap with a big stack of folded chairs on his back and greeted him.

Ed, who can be best described as "a lovable oaf", was a loyal friend who will do anything to help his friends and make them happy. He was also rather dim and far less intelligent than the average human, never mind Double D's IQ. But what Ed lacks in brains, his brawn more than makes up for it. Aside from being the muscle that brought all of the materials they needed for their past scams, he spends his time watching B-rated movies, eating gravy and playing with chickens.

"Good morning, Ed. Are you all ready for today?" Edd asked as he presented his multi-purpose suitcase.

"Ready when you are" Ed replied as they headed to their meeting point.

They arrived at the backyard of a pink house and knocked on a wooden sliding door next to the patio. Slowly the door opened as a short guy with a flattop hair with three long strands of hair combed back wearing wore a yellow polo shirt with a red stripe and light blue pants exited his bedroom.

Eddy was the somewhat charismatic leader of the trio and an innovative scammer. After the "Big Picture Show" his selfishness had mostly faded away, but it soon became clear that sleaziness was part of the family gene. His desire for money is still evident, though he no longer tried to swindle his friends; as he didn't want to lose them after years of futile (and misguided) attempts to earn their trust. It wasn't surprising that the three of them; due to their similar sounding first names that everyone referred to them as "the Eds".

"Got the pop, let's get started" Eddy said as he yawned while carrying a cooler full of bottled soda.

They approached the garden table on the patio and started setting things up with Ed and Eddy unfolding the chairs, while Double D opening his suitcase and pressed a button. All of a sudden a pair of table legs popped out of the outer case while a large 64 inch flat screen TV expanded from the inside with a large homemade satellite dish. Although they could get in trouble for stealing cable, Ed and Eddy convinced Double D to make one. Even goody two shoes though it was harmless due to the ridiculous price, besides, it allowed him to access any up-to-date scientific news. Once everything was ready, they waited for their friends to arrive; which didn't take long.

"Hi guys" said a young woman as she entered the backyard. "Wow, you sure got the place set up. This is going to be awesome"

Nazz was the local babe with a kind heart. She has blonde bob cut hair and was wearing a white tank top, black t-shirt and purple jeans. Though she is quite smart, she does tend to give some plausibility to the term "dumb blonde"; given that she can be a bit dense every now and then. She is friendly and sweet to anybody, even to the Eds during their scam-riddled years, which helped in her reputation as the best babysitter in the cul-de-sac. As head cheerleader in high school, her popularity grew even higher; which made her the love interest of all the boys in Peach Creak, but there is only one guy she wanted. Not just to hang out with her, but to also notice her as more than a friend. That person was the jock standing next to her.

"Indeed, so let's get things started" said her boyfriend as he held her hand.

His name was Kevin; sports star, biker, local show-off and former bully. He had red shaved hair with a long fringe poking out the gap of his dark red baseball cap while wearing a light green shirt and black shorts. Back when they were kids he used to bully the trio, who were simply called "The Eds", though he used to call them dorks. This was mostly due to him and Eddy's big egos causing much of the trouble, which is how Ed and Double D got involved in this war of two attention seekers. After the "Big Picture Show" they got along rather well and although his rivalry with Eddy continued, they kept it to more "peaceful ways" such as sports challenges rather than all-out fights. He has also got over his obsession with his old bike and started dating Nazz as soon as the neighbourhood kids returned that summer.

"I can't wait to see it myself buddy" said a dark-skinned boy with brown semi-short hair, wearing a white shirt and dark blue jeans.

Although Jonny was quite friendly, his annoying quirks often kept him from being fully accepted; though he wasn't as unpopular as the Eds were. Instead, he spent most of his time talking and playing with his imaginary friend, Plank; a small wooden board with a crayon face drawn on it. After the "Big Picture Show" Jonny started spending more time with the kids and he was eventually well accepted by the rest of the kids. He still chatted with Plank and brought him around with him all the time, yet no one complained or objected about it. For reasons unknown, even by Edd, Plank was somehow alive. Even though he didn't have legs, he was able to move around; provided no one, not even Jonny, was looking at him. Despite the fact that there was a possessed wooden board amongst them, everyone in the neighbourhood just accepted it and lived life as normal.

The next person to enter was a tall guy with brown skin and dark blue hair in a long fringe, while wearing a yellow t-shirt with a horizontal red stripe and light blue jeans. His name was Rolf, a strong farm boy from the Old Country who moved to Peach Creek with his parents to find a better life, as farmers in North America. His life in the cul-de-sac has been a combination of keeping up traditions wherever possible, while adapting to the urbanised lifestyle associated with a suburban town. Despite his odd customs and hard work ethic, he is friendly and likes to have fun just as much as anyone else.

"Rolf is still confused about why you consider car crashes and explosions as a form of leisurely delight" he said, and then he sighed. "But, for once, Rolf himself admits this custom isn't as menial as those puny doohickies you call monster trucks. Plus Rolf also wanted to see these Ponty Mythons" he finished, obviously looking forward to today's events.

"It's Monty Python, Rolf." Edd stated. Despite improving his English greatly over the years, Rolf still had the occasional mispronunciation with his new language.

"So many movies to watch, so little time! I hope we can watch 'Magical Dream', it's one of the best movies of the year!" yelled an effeminate young man with curly blonde hair, while wearing a cyan sweater and white pants.

Jimmy, as his friends called him, was the wimpiest kid in the group. His reputation for being the weakest in the cul-de-sac is well known; as was his tendency of being accident prone. He once had braces due to one of Eddy's scams going wrong, but miraculously his teeth have returned to normal and his notably large retainer was now gone. Due to his frailty, he spent his childhood doing more non-masculine activities such as painting, fashion and cooking to name a few. It was while hanging out with the Eds that his most talented side as a devious and ruthless businessman, along with fleecing the masses; whether it's attracting customers or getting vengeance by setting the perpetrators up was revealed. Even though this earned him a reputation as a person you didn't want to mess with; what made him really proud about his deceptive skills was that he was able to defend himself.

"I know. I'm amazed that we will be able to watch any film we want; Double D really wasn't kidding when he promised to get us free satellite TV" said the girl walking next to him.

Sarah was well known for being loud-mouthed, short-tempered and a spoiled brat. With her long red hair, pink tank top and blue jeans, she would seem too innocent to cause any trouble. But underneath it all, she was an intimidating and aggressive woman who would do whatever it takes to get what she wanted. She would act cute and charming to persuade people into doing what she wanted, which always worked on her parents. But when it failed to work on her classmates, she simply pummelled them until they gave in. Being Ed's younger sister, she is also considerably strong. And while she's not as strong as her big brother, her ability to use passive and aggressive tactics, in other words tattling and bullying, still scares him to this day. She usually spends her time playing with her best friend, Jimmy, or hanging out with the other kids; except for the Eds due to their constant attempts to scam her. Over the years she lost her control over Ed, largely due to her mother finding out about all the fibs she told over the years. This also led her forced her to stop bullying her brother, mostly to stay on her parent's good side, and while her patience has improved over the years, she still had a reputation to fight first and ask questions later.

While the kids each got a bottle of soda pop and started choosing their seats, a tall pale-skinned teenage man with light brown regular hair wearing a sapphire blue t-shirt and black pants arrived with two trolleys; one carrying a popcorn machine and another with a dozen or so large bags of popcorn and four tubs of butter.

His name was Ardan, and like Rolf he was of foreign decent. He used to live in Ireland with his parents on a small farm. His father was also an experienced forester due to the increased demands for building lumber and forest conservation laws. When Peach Creak decided to have the forests near the town managed, Ardan's father applied for and got a senior position of the new Peach Creak Forestry Agency. And with that, they left the Emerald Isle for their new life. The day after the "Big Picture Show" the kids were surprised to see the one house across the street from Edd's had been sold and the new neighbours were already moving in and he eventually became friends with all the kids in the cul-de-sac. He was smart, having an interest in history and geography; had a witty sense of humour and enjoys playing sports and card games.

He had recently repaired Eddy's popcorn machine for the event, since Ed broke it during their cinema scam. Edd was too busy modifying the TV and satellite dish in his all-purpose suitcase, so Ardan, after researching the internet for some advice and spare parts, managed to fix it and make it at a low cost.

"Hey guys, got us enough popcorn and butter here to last a new Spielberg movie" he said as he plugged the machines into the outdoor power socket and started cooking the kernels.

"Awesome. How did you get all this stuff for cheap?" Kevin asked.

"On the contrary, I got them for free. Peach Creak Cinema had an excess supply of popcorn due to the large amount of bombed movies over the summer, so they gave me them as a 'gift' to avoid paying the garbage men to remove them. Don't worry, they're still in date" he replied as he grabbed his bottle of soda and started chatting with the others while waiting for the kernels to pop.

"Awesome! Large TV, Check; Free Satellite, Check; Soda, Check; Chairs, Check; and Popcorn, Check! We're about to have the best 24-hour movie marathon ever!" yelled Eddy while raising his bottle of soda; which the rest followed suit with equally loud cheers. Once they calmed down, everyone turned towards Edd and his massive television as he began speak.

"Well, now that everybody is here, we can begin with-"

"Hey there, oven mitt; don't forget about us!" shouted a female voice, turning everybody's focus to the end of Eddy's backyard.

The person who interrupted them was Marie; who was looking over the fence at the far end of the lawn. She was a young woman with her blue bob cut hair that covered her right eye; while also wearing a black tank top and green BDU pants. She started climbing over the fence, with two other girls following her.

"Oh… yes, of course. How silly of me" Edd stuttered nervously.

"Yeah, you should double check that list of yours, yapity yak!" yelled the tall woman to Marie's left, who was talking in Eddy's direction.

She had big red curly hair that covered most of her eyes, though she was still able to see through it for reasons unknown; wearing a white tank top with red polka-dots, blue jeans and answered to the name Lee.

"Oops, how silly of me, 'Three girls who are late due to their tendency to sleep-in; Check'. There, happy?!" Eddy yelled sarcastically.

"We were busy making our selves look good. Besides, I want to look my best for my tall, dim and handsome guy" replied the girl to Marie's right; as she waved at Ed.

Her name was May; the shortest of the three girls, she had long blonde hair and buck teeth, while wearing a grey t-shirt and red shorts.

Ed's response was to pull out a paper bag mask, this time with a crayon drawing of moose on it and covered his face with it. Everyone laughed at his poor attempt to look unattractive, although May looked somewhat sad at his constant attempts to avoid her.

Together May, Marie and Lee are the Kanker Sisters. As the result of their mother's three failed marriages, they had different fathers, and therefore different personalities. May was similar to Ed at being strong and dim; although not as strong as the lovable oaf, she was somewhat more intelligent than him. Marie was a rebellious punk who was craftier than a Goldman Sachs accountant, and just as arrogant as their executives. Lee was the most dominant and proud of the three, able to keep them in line and organise them into a force to be reckoned with. What the Kankers did have in common was their tomboyish and vicious nature; which earned them a reputation as the most feared bullies in Peach Creak.

They have a gigantic crush on the Eds, each with their own boy to fawn over. May likes Ed, Marie likes Edd and Lee likes Eddy. Unfortunately the Eds didn't like them, mostly because their admirers would bully them into having smooching sessions with them. The rest of the kids feared them because they would bully them out of their money or just for fun; even Kevin and Rolf were scared of them. At the end of the "Big Picture Show", they took Eddy's brother into his trailer and punished him for hurting their boyfriends; which insured that he wouldn't be looking for revenge on the gang anytime soon. When they returned and saw Ardan move in and quickly befriend the Eds and the rest of the kids, they decided to stop being loners and to make friends with the kids. They also finally realised that forcing the Eds to love them had the opposite result, as the Eds always avoided them.

When they approached the kids and asked to be friends with them, they all rejected, thinking that they were trying to trick them. After a few weeks, they noticed that the Kankers weren't bullying them anymore; though they did bully the other kids. When the girls asked them if they could be friends again, they all agreed to let them hang around with them, well, all except the Eds of course. In the end, a "look, don't touch" rule; in which the Kankers couldn't harass, bully or forcefully smooch the Eds, was what it took to win the Eds over and let the Kankers be "friends" with them. Although they still had to put up with the girls constant attempts at seducing them, they constantly ignored it, glad that the days of being covered in lipstick kisses were over.

Sadly, for the Kankers, the days of the Eds rejecting their love weren't over; for various reasons. Ed had a childish fear of girls, especially those who were mean or wanted to kiss them; this made it hard for May to get together with him. Edd was also nervous around girls due to his inexperience, combined with Marie's rebellious and anarchic personality didn't help her in attracting the high-minded genius. Eddy, however, ignored Lee as much as possible. Although he was willing to let them hang around with them in order to have the "look, don't touch" rule, he ignored her attempts to talk with him as much as possible, as he never forgave Lee or her sisters for all the trouble they caused to him and his friends over the years. Despite this, they never gave up on winning over their dream boys, and they weren't going to anytime soon.

While the Kankers each grabbed a bottle of soda and attempted to chat with their soul mates, everyone else debated about what films they should watch.

Things had changed a lot since their journey to the Mondo A-go-go amusement park all those years ago. Before, they were individual groups who didn't get along and often fought with each other. Now, they were friends and acquaintances who spend their time partying, playing games, going to the beach or simply having fun whenever they can; with summer being the perfect season for their big events.

It was now mid-August, and so far their holidays had been the most fun and memorable yet; apart from the odd argument and scuffle. They were now in their teenage years, with most of the gang, including the Eds, Marie, Ardan, Kevin and Nazz being 18 years old; while Jonny and May were 17 years, Sarah and Jimmy were the youngest at 16 years, and the oldest being Rolf and Lee at 19 years. While Jimmy and Sarah were going to begin their 11th grade in Peach Creak Senior High School in a mere two weeks, the rest of the gang were going to face the 12th grade; along with all the endless homework and stressful exams that come with it.

But the gang weren't going to let that ruin their fun or friendship just yet. They still had two weeks left until September arrives and they were going to make the most of it. As everyone went to grab their tubs of popcorn, Edd managed to slip away from Marie and stood in beside the TV. Once they all returned to their seats, he cleared his voice to grab their attention.

"As I was saying, now that everyone is here, let the movie marathon begin" he announced as he raised his soda in the air with one hand, while the other pressed the play button on his remote control.

The rest of the kids cheered and raised their bottles with him as the first movie began.


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: Please visit my profile for announcements and news on updates.

It was nearly 4 pm and the gang was watching their fifth movie. The unbearable heat forced Eddy, with the help of muscleman Ed, to put up an extra-large parasol over the patio to give them shelter. Everyone was laughing at the comedy, especially Rolf.

"Ho Ho Ho! These men with the minds of schoolboys tickle Rolf's funny bone like its nothing. How they can make witch-hunts and plagues into laughter is beyond Rolf" he chuckled as he dried his tears of laughter.

"Nice choice, Ardan. I heard the Pythons were funny, but I didn't know they were this good" Kevin said as he finished his third bottle of soda, before dropping it onto the floor and grabbing another one.

"The TV show was more hit and miss, but they put the best they could think of into their movies" Ardan replied.

"Yeah, it's a nice change from all those action movies" Nazz said as she cuddled close to Kevin.

"Who doesn't like car chases and explosions, isn't that right, Ed?" May piped as she turned her attention to Ed, staring at him with a dreamy look in her eye.

Ed, who was too enthralled in the movie to notice her, simply said "Oh how brave King Arthur is. All over a magic cup he's never seen". May was once again saddened by his reaction, still hoping to win him.

"It's nice to watch something that brings happiness and laughter; even if it is based on legend and human misery" Double D said as he sipped his soda through a straw.

"Especially when it's with you, cutie pie" Marie added as she moved her chair closer to his. Edd's response was to move his chair away from her, blushing like a red stoplight from her actions.

"They've got it wrong! The world is acorn-shaped" Jonny shouted as they watched the knights discuss the shape of the world.

Sarah, who was sitting directly in front of him and was clearly agitated by his loud interruption, yelled "Shut up, Boulderhead! We're trying to watch the movie!"

Jonny stood up and looked at her and replied "It's Plank's theory, and he's telling the truth!" not even flinching as he saw Sarah's eyes fire up in anger.

Everyone turned their heads towards them; their argument having turned their attention away from the movie. Sarah was about to go and pummel the hell out of Jonny, but Jimmy, who was sitting on her right, managed to grab her arm and stop her.

"Don't listen to him, Sarah. He's just trying to push your buttons" he pleaded, hoping to prevent a brawl between the two.

Jimmy's intervention was just enough to stop her, though it didn't dampen her temper. Luckily, the knights onscreen were halted in their tracks as God suddenly appeared. This grabbed both Sarah and Jonny's curiosity, with both of them returning to their seats as if nothing had happened.

"This movie sucks. Why don't they have any horses? They're knights for crying out load!" Eddy ranted.

"Well, given that this movie is clearly made on such a small budget, I myself am safe to declare that they could not afford even the most economical equus ferus, or horses; for their first motion picture. The coconuts were an improvised gag that made up for their noble steeds as well as providing them with humorous material; an ingenious one if I do say so myself" Edd explained.

"Cheapskates" Eddy muttered under his breath.

"That's rich coming from you, short stuff" Lee sneered, as it wasn't unknown for Eddy's scams to use any free materials he could find. Eddy simply ignored her and continued to lounge on his chair.

Several minutes later, the television started beeping and automatically changed the channel. They saw a large number of workers inside a large tunnel using a TBM, or Tunnel Boring Machine, to dig through the rock in front of them.

"HEY, WHAT HAPPENED?!" they all cried, wondering what happened to their movie; all except for one Double D, who was excited at what on. Just then, the camera in the tunnel turned to a female news reporter wearing a high visibility jacket and hard hat.

"**This is Science Channel News reporting live from Scandinavia. Just last year, scientists and geologists detected an unknown material in the centre of this huge mountain ridge. Now, after months of tunnelling, workers and experts from the World Scientific Organisation are just metres away from unveiling it to the world. We'll return with more on this event after these messages"** she said, as an adverted for Stench-Away deodorant appeared on the screen.

"What? Not this again. Turn it back, Double D" Eddy grumbled.

"Yeah, I've heard enough of this lame stuff for the last week. This blows" Kevin added, who for once agreed with him.

"Evil deodorant!" Ed screamed, covering his eyes with his hands to avoid looking at the hygienic product.

Edd stood up in front of them and replied "I greatly apologise for the interruption to our day of visual entertainment. I set my homemade reminder system to change to any channel with the latest news on this scientific discovery and−"

"WHAT?!" cried the rest of the gang.

"How dare you interrupt our day of leisurely delights by showing us these white coated imbeciles chasing their tails, while we could be seeing if Arthur the King gets into the castle owned by the snail farmers?" Rolf yelled, as he grabbed Edd's shirt aggressively; shaking him back and forth as he spoke.

"Plank's going to go mad if we don't change the channel back!" Jonny shrilled, worried that his wooden friend would go crazy at any moment.

While everyone was arguing amongst each other, Edd reached for his suitcase and pulled out his air horn and two cotton balls. After plugging his ears with the cotton, he blows the air horn at his friends; thus silencing them and allowing him to finish his explanation.

"As I was saying; I set the reminder system on the Science channel for this excavation and I thought it would be a nice break from our cinema entertainment to witness this historic event. Just think of the benefits it could have in our world; it could be stronger than titanium, produce more energy than coal, be more conductive than gold" he replied.

Eddy's ears twitched when he heard that last word. He zoomed up to Edd and said "Did you say 'gold'?" He smiled widely, curious to know all he can about this new and possibly wealthy material.

"Oh great! Now Double D has got Fishface interested in this garbage" grumbled Sarah, something that wasn't unheard by Eddy as he turned towards her.

"Who asked you, Spoiled Brat?" he growled back, resulting with Sarah lunging at him and soon the two were brawling on the lawn.

"People, please! There is no need for such barbaric violence!" Double D pleaded, but neither of them listened to him.

"Man, look at them go! This is way better to watch than your nerdy borefest, Double Dweeb" Kevin said as he laughed like hell. Nazz, however, wasn't as enthusiastic as he was with this violent entertainment.

"Kevin! This is not cool! Stop them!" she said worriedly. She never liked it when her friends resorted to meaningless violence and this was no exception.

Kevin, not wanting to offend his girlfriend, reluctantly obeys her and approaches them; only to be sucker-punched by Sarah in the face, flying straight into Rolf and knocking him over. Both of them quickly recover from the collision and get back on their feet.

"Dude, not cool" Kevin groaned as he rubbed his bruised right cheek.

"Ya, you didn't even get close enough to stop them" Rolf said, unimpressed with his friend's attempt.

"Like you could've done better" he replied, clearly not happy about his close friend's comments.

The two started arguing while Nazz tried to calm them down. Meanwhile, Lee noticed that Sarah had got the upper hand as she had Eddy in a headlock and was beating the life out of him.

Lee couldn't take Sarah's treatment of her dream boyfriend anymore and yelled "That's it. I'm gonna rearrange your face, princess!" as she jumped onto her and joined in the fray, unaware if she was beating up Sarah or Eddy.

The rest of the gang decided to break up the fight before it gets bloody. They split up into two groups. Ed grabbed Eddy, May tried to hold Sarah down and Marie attempted to keep Lee under control, with Jimmy begged them to stop fighting; while Ardan struggled to keep Kevin at bay as did Jonny in stopping Rolf in his tracks, with Nazz still trying to keep them from starting another one.

Edd simply watched as his friends kept bickering, disheartened at the way things had turned out.

"How did it come to this? We were supposed to have a day of fun and happiness, not a return to the old ways when we couldn't even meet each other without it leading to an all-out melee" he said, his eyes on the verge of tearing up as they continued on without even listening to him.

Just when it looked like this was how the day was going to end, they heard loud music blaring out of the television; followed by an announcement.

"**We have breaking news. The team of WSO workers in Scandinavia have just reached the specified position and are beginning the final phase of manual digging in order to accurately locate the veins which contain the unknown material. We now go live to Scandinavia"** said a male news presenter on the screen.

Everyone suddenly stopped fighting and remembered the subject that caused all the trouble in the first place. They all stared back at the remote control, which Edd had left on the garden table after the first movie started.

Ed ran towards the patio shouting "Movie good for Ed!"

The others followed suit, all eager to change the channel back to their feature film. Edd managed to grab it, just in time to witness his friends as they were about to jump on top of him. He barely managed to dodge them as they landed onto the table, crushing it under their combined weight. Everyone groaned as they tried to get back onto their feet, with Ed and his sister being the first.

"Must watch movie!" he bellowed as he charged at Edd, only for his friend to sidestep and allow him to smash through the patio railings and land on the lawn.

"Give us the remote, Double D!" Sarah yelled as she ran towards him and tried to swipe it from his hands, but Edd held it as high as he could; keeping it barely out of reach from her.

"Please, if I could just ask you to have a microsecond of patience. The unveiling of a new scientific discovery is about to begin" he replied, pointing towards the TV.

They turned their heads and saw the female news reporter commenting in front of the TBM, its 10 metre wide cutter head silent. The camera followed her as she walked away from the machine and further into the tunnel, where they could see the workers using large hand-held drills and jackhammers to dig their way into the mountain.

Kevin wasn't fooled by Edd's attempts to watch this lame garbage and went up to him; grabbing him by his orange shirt and hoisting him into the air.

"Give it up, Double Dweeb, or I'll show you what I'd do to those lab coat losers" Kevin said as he kept Edd up with one hand and was readying the other to punch him.

Eddy rushed up to him and yelled "Oh no, you don't. I want to see what's inside that mountain" Edd smiled at his best friend's educational interest. "And once we know what we're looking for, Double D's going to point me, I-I mean us, in the right direction to find this stuff. We'll be rich in no time!" Edd face palmed and groaned, forgetting that Eddy would only be interested in such intellectual endeavours as long as they made him a profit.

Kevin was about to answer back, but Ardan commented "That is true, Eddy. However, it is most likely that whatever they find in that mountain is less valuable than the money in your wallet" Everyone laughed as Eddy's face went red in anger.

"Laugh while you can, smart mouth. Cause I'll get the last laugh when I'm swimming in my personal pool, full of money and jawbreakers" he boasted with a big smirk on his face.

"And how are you going to gain possession of one of those mechanical groundhogs, No-brain Ed-boy?" Rolf asked as he pointed to the TV screen. Everybody turned their heads, quickly realising that he was probably talking about the TBM the workers were using to dig their way through the mountain.

"He's right, Eddy. A Tunnel Boring Machine, or TBM for short, is used to construct a tunnel in a mountain or even underground by cutting and removing the rock or soil in an efficient manner; as well as providing support in order to prevent it from collapsing. But there is a one major problem; those machines are expensive. Not only due to their massive size, but also because everything from the rotating cutting wheel to the metal hull that protects it has to be custom-built for the job at hand, whether it is mining or tunnel building. Even if we had ownership of such an advanced apparatus, we would still need to find the material's location and procure legal permission to begin extracting it; never mind the huge financial support required in managing a mine" Edd stated as he tried to get out of Kevin's grip.

Eddy lost his smirk when he heard his bright friend's words of wisdom "Since when did you start shooting my plans down before we even started?"

Just as Edd was about to answer his question, they were startled by a loud rumbling noise.

"Jeepers, what was that?!" Jimmy shrieked as he hugged onto Sarah's right arm.

"Look!" May yelled as she pointed at the TV screen.

They saw the workers running into the TBM as chunks of rock began falling down from the tunnel face. Dust soon began to block their view and they couldn't hear anything apart from the rattling of debris hitting the TBM's hull.

"Oh no, it's a tunnel collapse" Edd said as he watched in shock at what happened.

Kevin dropped him to the ground and cracked his knuckles "Looks like your eggheads won't be getting their magic dust now. Hand over the remote before I pound you"

"Get in line, Kevin" Sarah growled as she pushed him aside and marched towards Edd, who was shaking in fear of the reprisal he was about to receive.

While everybody was watching the commotion between Edd, Kevin and Sarah; Jonny turned his attention to Plank.

"What's that, buddy?" he asked his wooden friend. He placed his ear on the board's mouth to listen more clearly and then looked at the television; the dust still to block their vision. He looked back at Plank with a surprised look on his face.

"You're pulling my leg" he said out loud.

Rolf heard the loner's words, asking "What are you babbling on about, Woodboy?"

"Plank says they're still alive!" he answered back, everyone looking at him as if he was mad.

They all looked at the TV screen, the dust finally settling and the TBM slowly reappearing on screen. Huge chunks of rock littered the floor, yet no bodies were seen among the rubble. Suddenly, multiple coughing noises could be heard, followed by the workers and the news crew emerging from within the battered machine's cutter head.

"No way" Sarah said as she watched in shock, as did everyone else.

"Yes way!" Ed replied, resulting in an irritated Sarah banging her fist on top of his head; causing him to fall to the ground.

"**We apologise for the disturbance. I was just talking to one of the workers when the tunnel face started to form a huge crack and collapse towards us. Luckily, we managed take shelter in the TBM before the falling rocks hit anyone"** she said, coughing while she tried to get to dust off of her clothes.

She approached the large pile of rubble that was once the tunnel face and in its place was a pitch black cave that was even larger than the tunnel itself. While some of the workers were setting up some large searchlights, the rest of them, including the TV crew, turned on their flashlights as they ventured over the rubble and into the unknown. They walked for a few minutes until they saw something strange in front of them. Just then, the searchlights were turned on, but were only able to penetrate the darkness up to where the explorers were; but it was just enough for them to fully see what was in front of them.

What both the workers in Scandinavia and the teenagers in Peach Creek saw was a large wall that curved inward, made of a black rock that seemed to eat the light that shone on it. It was 25 feet tall and 22 feet wide, with the centre being the tallest. It had a carved emblem resembling the head of a reptilian creature in the upper centre and spirals decorated the rest of it; except for the first 8 feet of the wall from the ground up, which was smooth and had strange carvings that were arranged in four straight horizontal lines.

"Whoa" Ardan said, clearly transfixed on the carvings.

"Amazing" Nazz gasped, dazed by the decorative spirals.

"Rolf is beyond belief" the old country native mused, a look of concern was on his face as he gazed at the mysterious structure.

"Check it out guys. Double D looks like he's gonna have a meltdown" Lee chuckled, amused by the boy genius staring at the TV in shock. Her fun time ended early when Marie elbowed her in the side, which quietened her down.

"Double D, are you ok?" Marie asked as she shook him by the shoulder, but he didn't respond. She began to worry, as this was the first time her crush didn't blush or even react when she touched him. Eddy, impatient and looking for answers, decided to intervene.

"Allow me" he said calmly as he pushed her out of the way and cleared his voice.

"Hey, Sockenstein! Wake up!" he screamed into Edd's left ear, startling him out of shock and fall onto the patio floor. He quickly recovered and Ed helped him back onto his feet.

"Th-Thank y-you, Ed" he stuttered he dusted his clothes. He turned to his friends and said "Sorry. I'm just, well, speechless"

"So is everyone else, Mr Know-it-all. What is it?" Eddy asked, clearly seeking answers from the group's smartest member.

Edd looked back at the TV screen and said "This is impossible. It's a structure that defies all logic and practicality! The mountain that it resides in is far too large and resilient to be for any pre-industrial civilization to tunnel into, there isn't even a water source nearby that could've eroded it and create an underground network of caves to for it to flow through. And yet even the existence of this cave is nothing compared to the engrossing absurdity of this, this, monolith! Not only is its size and ornamentation a sight to behold, but the carvings on the lower half seem to be some kind of written language or code. This discovery is not just scientific; it's archaeological, it's historical, it's beyond normal!"

Eddy put his hand under his chin and thought for a moment, then asked "So, is it worth something or what?"

Edd was about to answer his question when Ed burst through the crowd and stood in front of the TV.

"It is the torture chamber of the Morris Dancing Anteaters, who wave their walking sticks and snot-covered handkerchiefs, in a ritual that makes their victim's grow chest hair!" he yelled as he waved his hands dramatically.

Eddy, Aidan and Kevin sniggered at Ed's exaggerated theory; while everyone else looked nervously at each other.

"Your wrong, mad-as-a-hat-maker Ed-boy; for these smarty-panted people have broken into a mountain nymph's lair!" Rolf yelled fearfully "They are lucky ducks to have found this place while they are out hunting for innocent artichokes. Flee they must, for they tread on soft pumpkins" he finished quietly as he watched the TV, wondering where and when the mythical creatures would strike.

"Oh really, then what do those markings on that lump of rock say?" Kevin asked as he tried not to laugh at his best mate's superstitious beliefs.

"That 'lump of rock', strut-like-a-peacock Kevin-boy, is their nest; where they are born and ravage the lives of those unfortunate enough to encounter them" Rolf replied as he ridiculed his friend's unwary words.

Just then, May had a brainwave and shouted "Wait, maybe Ardan knows what it is. He's from Europe, isn't he?"

Everybody looked at her as if she was mad. But like Ed, it wasn't unknown for May to find the solution to their problem, even if it is largely due to luck.

"Hey, she's right. I saw a map in geography class with the words 'Scandinavia' and 'Europe' near each other. Maybe he does know something" Lee stated before looking at the young Irishman, as was everyone else.

"Well, I have seen spiral carvings that look similar to some landmarks back home, but apart from that I don't know what it could be" Ardan replied.

"Seriously though, that thing gives me the creeps" Nazz said nervously as she looked at the strange carvings.

On screen, most of the workers had finished staring at the artefact and started exploring the cave, while the rest of them assisted the scientists with their research by shining the searchlights on which ever part of the artefact fascinated them. As they began their work, some of the eggheads ordered the workers to illuminate the upper half of the structure. But as the light went upwards, they found two large claws gripping the top of the wall; both of which had three talons each and were made of the same black rock.

Jimmy's face went white; his mind racing as he remembered the giant claws from the nightmare he had several winters ago.

As the camera slowly moved upward, the news reporter said **"This is fascinating. It has been a day of endless discovery here, and I've just got word that historians from Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland are arriving in the hope of working out what this object is meant to be. As you can see these strange pattern seem to-****"**

All of a sudden, the TV started getting fuzzy; slowly fading until all they could see was static, yet they could still hear the news reporter rambling on.

"What's going on, Double D?" Jonny questioned.

Edd was rapidly pressing remote control's buttons "Strange, it looks as if they're having technical difficulties, which isn't surprising; considering the fact that their broadcasting an event from within a mountain"

"Boring, change the channel" Lee piped, her patience, like everyone else's, wearing thin.

Suddenly, a loud thunderous noise emitted from the TV; causing the gang to leap back in terror, before landing in a pile. When Edd got back up, he was the first to see a 'Please Standby' card displayed on screen.

"Ok, what just happened there?" Kevin asked as he dusted himself, before helping a half-frightened Nazz get back onto her feet.

"That was scary, dude" Nazz said as she held onto his left arm.

"Don't let go of me, Sarah" Jimmy murmured as he held onto her leg. While she tried calmed him down and get him to let go, she noticed something on the patio floor. Just next to her was the Edd's remote control, which he lost during their tumble.

She grabbed it and hoisted it high "Hey, guys. I got it!"

Everyone looked back to see what Sarah had in her possession, causing Edd to panic and the rest to cheer.

"Thank you, Sarah!" Jimmy yelled as he hugged her.

"Nice move, dude" Kevin said as he gave her high-five.

"Shall we continue with the amusing picture show?" Rolf asked.

Edd soon realised where this was going and gave his two cents "We can't! What about the disco-"

"TV for me!" Ed yelled as he ran over Edd as he returned to his seat

"I'll get the popcorn, good looking!" May shouted as she ran to the machine to get another bucket.

Edd struggled to get up after Ed's ambush, until he felt someone grab his hand and pulled him back to his feet.

"Thank you v-v-very much" he said, stuttering at the end when he identified the Good Samaritan "M-Marie"

Marie giggled at his reaction, before placing her hand on his shoulder and said "No problem, Cuddly Bear. Now come on, we have film festival to finish" She then returned to her seat; leaving a red-faced Edd standing as if he was turned to stone by her touch.

After Edd regained his senses, he saw his friends sitting down with their snacks as they eagerly waited for Kevin, Jimmy, Jonny and Sarah; who were trying to change the TV back to the Movie Channel. He realised that people power has won the day and that their original plans were to continue. Adding to the fact that he was starting to get a bad headache after all the shocks, frights and stress from the day's events, he decided to give in and let his classmates have their way. He leaned back in his chair and began to relax, letting his sore brain recover after what could only be described as 'a strange day'"

His train of thought was interrupted when Kevin shouted "Hey, wait a minute. Wasn't that 'Holy Grail' movie meant to be over by now?"

Edd lowered his head and saw the gang watching the knights' approach the castle. It then hit him.

"Oh how forgetful of me. I had programed the TV to pause the movie in case of any Science Channel news" Edd said proudly with his eyes closed.

When he opened them, he was greeted with angry and annoyed looks from everyone except Ed, Eddy and Marie. Edd soon noticed that he was in trouble when he saw Kevin, Rolf, Ardan and Sarah huddled together and began whispering. Edd soon realised he was in big trouble for his brief moment of forgetfulness. While they were busy, Edd made a break for his house. But as he made his escape, he slipped on an empty soda bottle and flew off the patio, sliding face first onto the lawn. Kevin and Rolf quickly grabbed him by the legs and dragged him back as he screamed.

"No, please, it was a mistake! Have mercy!"


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: Please visit my profile for announcements and news on updates.

As the credits of 'The Holy Grail' began rolling on the screen, the gang began debating which movie they should watch next; while Edd was trying to remove the duct tape that secured his hands to the patio railing.

"Is this really necessary?" he asked as he struggled to break free.

"Totally, Double Doufus" Kevin replied as he flipped the remote control in his hand.

"As if we're going to let you ruin our day again" Sarah added.

"Could you at least loosen these adhesive restraints a little?" Edd asked innocently, hoping to fool them into releasing him.

"Not until you complete the punishment, head and sock Ed-boy" Rolf replied humorously.

"Punishment?" he repeated.

"It's rather simple Edd. You just have to stay restrained until the end of the movie marathon" Ardan said as he flicked a piece of popcorn into his mouth.

"But that's not until dawn, Ardan! What if I had to go to the bathroom?" he questioned as he tried to reason with him.

"Don't brood, for Rolf's gotten the fly out of the ointment" he answered as snapped his fingers.

Edd's view was blocked by an empty soda bottle, held before him by none other than Ed. It didn't take a second for him to realise how he was going to have to answer to Mother Nature for the next 12 hours, and that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

"Um, you know what; I think I'll hold it in" he said, resulting in Ed returning to his seat next to Eddy.

"And don't think about breaking loose, Edd, or you'll get the forfeit" Sarah stated as her face grew into a sadistic smile.

"Forfeit?" he repeated yet again.

"Yes, head-in-sock Ed-boy, for if you attempt to escape; you must spend the night with" he said, clearing his voice as he announced "The Mistresses of Nightly Pain"

Edd was left confused as he wondered what his foreign friend was talking about.

"He means you get to bunk with us, smarty-pants!" Lee shouted; her voice striking fear into the intuitive youngster as he realised who his would-be bed mates were.

He glanced back and saw both Lee and May as they blow kisses at him; a reminder of what his fate would be if he misbehaved. Strangely, Marie was giving no such looks. In fact, she seemed to be saddened with the whole situation.

"Relax Edd, your punishment could've been much worse" Ardan said as he surfed through the various movie channels.

"What do you mean?" Edd asked.

"Well, Rolf wanted to make you eat your ant farm, Kevin argued that you should wear a pair of Ed's socks for a week, and Sarah demanded that you give her your hat; in public" he added.

Edd's face slowly turned white as Aidan listed all of the alternative penalties they had lined up for him. He quickly calibrated how fortunate he was that he didn't have to consume his 5,239 little pets, or don his friend's septic foot garments, or worst of all; remove his symbolic hat and reveal what lies beneath it to the world for the first time ever. All things considered, a night with the Kankers would be the least 'painful' of the four, not to mention he had a chance to avoid it if he can keep his bladder in check.

"Enough yapping already, which movie should we watch next?" Kevin said as they returned their attention to the event at hand.

"How about Al Gore's 'The Environment and Me'?" Jonny suggested.

"No way, let's watch Michael Bay's 'No Smoke without Fire'!" May yelled.

Edd watched as everyone gave their ideas for which movie to watch next, and then turned his eyes towards Ed and Eddy, who were sitting back and relaxing. He glared at them, which soon caught their attention.

"What?" Eddy asked as he opened a bottle of soda.

"Oh nothing, Eddy" Edd said sarcastically "Apart from the fact that I have been incarcerated by an angry mob, fastened to the patio railing and prohibited from moving at my own free will for the next 13 hour! And yet, you two haven't made a single act of opposition against my current predicament!"

"Well, unlike you, Ed and I actually learned our lesson a long time ago" Eddy bragged with a smug look on his face.

"Tsk, Tsk, Double D. You must remember what happened when we interrupted Kevin's monster truck marathon" Ed stated, his sudden spurt of intelligence surprising both his friends.

"What he said. And you remembered what happened after that, Double D?" he added as he pointed to the three girls across from them; two of whom were still blowing kisses at them.

Edd was stunned by his friend's words, because they were right. Long ago, when Eddy wanted to get the cul-de-sac to bow before him for his ancestor's founding of Peach Creak; he had Ed attach a wired clothes hanger to Kevin's antenna in order to take over his television and Edd narrated a documentary on Peach Creek's history. Unsurprisingly, nobody was happy about this and Kevin got back at them; by moving the clothes hanger to the Kanker's trailer. In the end, the gang got their monster trucks and the Eds ended up with more lipstick on them in one night than a Frenchmen gets in their lifetime.

"If you can't do the slime, don't do the crime" Ed boasted.

"Time, Ed; Time" Edd added as he lowered his head in defeat.

While Edd tried to get 'comfortable' with his seating arrangements, Marie stopped staring down at the patio floor and turned her head towards the sky; quickly losing her gloomy face as her eyes widened.

As the debate continued, Nazz lost interest and began to look around. She eventually saw Marie and wondered what was wrong with her. Tilting her head upward, she widened her eyes at what she saw.

"Isn't there supposed to be no clouds today?" Nazz asked which caused everyone else to look up as well.

Above them the once cloudless sky was starting to be covered by multiple clouds.

"This is odd. The weather report indicated a 'cloudless' day. Not only that, but these clouds are moving too rapidly for our local climate. And they're coming from the east rather than the west" Edd explained as they watched in bewilderment.

As the clouds swiftly drifted above them, they began to cover up the sky and swirl anti-clockwise direction above them; the sun barely making it through, giving the sky a faint orange colour to mix with the dark grey clouds.

"This is getting weird" Kevin said cautiously as Nazz hugged onto his arm.

"If it starts raining, we'll have to watch it inside Eddy's house" Ardan suggested, resulting in a universal groan from all of them.

While everybody was looking at the approaching storm, Ed's brain suddenly went into overdrive.

"The sky is falling!" he yelled, causing everyone to look back at him.

"Not again" Sarah said as she put her hand over her face in embarrassment.

Before she knew it, he grabbed her and put her under his arm; followed by Jimmy and Jonny, then carried them over to Eddy's bedroom door and opened it with his foot.

"You will be safe in here, little sister!" he shouted as he threw them in; screaming as they flew through the air until they landed softly on the large, circular bed.

"What are you doing Ed?" Eddy asked "Um, Ed?" Ed grabbed him along with Rolf, Ardan, Kevin and Nazz; before he did the same with them and headed for the retro room.

"We must take shelter from the deadly fragments that are sure to plunge from the upper regions!" he stated loudly as chucked them onto the bed, which was still occupied by his previous refugee; thus resulting in a very uncomfortable landing.

Ed turned around and made his way over to Edd; who was struggling to get out of his duct tape restraints.

"It's alright, Ed. I should be out of−" he said nervously, but his words were ignored as Ed grabbed his friend's arms.

Edd prepared for the worst and closed his eyes as the overpowered simpleton gave a swift pull; a snapping sound filling his ears, yet he felt no pain. He opened his eyes to find that his hands were free, and his wrists still intact. He also realised that the snapping sound was the breaking of the patio railing, with parts of it still taped to his wrists.

"Thank you, ED!" he said, his words of gratitude were interrupted when Ed put him under his arm and ran for Eddy's bedroom.

"What about us, handsome?" Lee asked; which caused Ed to stop in his tracks.

"Yeah, Romeo; carry me over to your love nest as well" May added as she watched him with love-filled eyes.

"You three, walk it! We must prepare the defences!" Ed replied as he ran into the room and closed the door; leaving the Kankers stunned.

"Hey, wait up!" Marie yelled as she ran over to the door; soon followed by Lee and May.

As the Kankers banged away at the door demanding entry, Ed dropped Edd on the overcrowded bed and began rummaging his jacket pockets; while Eddy managed to squeeze out of the pile of confused teens and marched towards Ed in a fit of rage.

"Ed! How many times do we have to tell you;" he shouted "THE SKY ISN'T FA−" his rant was interrupted when the superstitious adolescent pulled out a rusty toolbox out of his pocket; accidently whacking Eddy face and knocking him out cold.

"Found it" Ed said as he ran towards the door, placing the toolbox on the ground and opened it and pulled out a hammer and a screwdriver.

Meanwhile, the Kankers; fed up with themselves being locked out, decided to take drastic measures. In this case, it involved Lee and Marie using May as a battering ram.

"Ok girls, you know the drill. Ready!" Lee announced.

"Steady!" Marie yelled.

"Go!" May bellowed.

As they charged full on towards the door, it opened at the last second and the Kankers soon found themselves on a collision course with the wall.

"AAAAHH!" they screamed as they crashed into the dry wall.

As the rest of the gang tried to get off of each other, they noticed that Ed had removed the door from its slider and had carried it to the window. He then scavenged his jacket and found an old piece of pink gum, then began chewing it rapidly; much to Edd's disgust.

"Ed, for heaven's sake; you spit that filthy piece of tree resin out right now" he demanded.

Instead, Ed simply continued chewing, and then started blowing a bubble that grew larger with each passing second.

"Ed, please tell me that isn't my prototype gum you're blowing?" he asked, only for Ed to present a sewing pin out of his pocket.

"Ed, don't!" he yelled as everyone, bar Eddy and the Kankers, who were unconscious; took cover behind the bed.

A loud bang rang around the room. Edd, Kevin and Ardan poked their heads over the bed to find Ed his back facing them; and the unfastened door covered in the patented extra strong gum.

Eddy had recovered just in time to find Ed sticking his backyard door over the window.

He quickly got back on his feet and marched furiously in his direction "Ed, Stop wreaking my roo-AHH!" he shouted as he tripped on his shoelace and landed face first on the floor.

"The shelter is ready!" Ed announced as he turned around.

"Um, Ed; the doorway" Jonny said as he pointed to the one fatal flaw to his 'shelter'.

He looked to his left and his eyes widened at his mistake.

"Oh no, must barricade doorway!" he yelled as he ran around the room, searching for something to close it with.

"Enough already, let's get back to the movie" Kevin said as he climbed onto the bed and helped Nazz back onto her feet.

"Hey, don't walk on my bed!" Eddy shouted as he got off the floor.

While everyone was bickering, the Kankers had finally regained conscious. Lee awoke to find a Tom Jones poster on her face. She sat up and pulled it off; reading the concert details. Marie and May also woke up and went behind their eldest sister; looking over her shoulder.

"Looks like your boyfriend wants to charm you with his singing, Lee" Marie said as she giggled at the poster.

"Maybe I should get him to sing a song for us, girls" Lee said as she showed the poster to the gang, all of whom chuckled at the sight of the Welsh pop star.

"Put it back!" Eddy yelled as he took two steps towards the trio.

"Perfect!" Ed yelled as he grabbed Eddy's bed and turned it over; causing everyone on it to fall onto the floor.

Eddy stopped in his tracks and turned around to find Ed wedging his bed bottom first into the doorway.

"That's it! Your one dead lump!" he screamed as jumped on Ed and wrestled him to the floor in an arm hold.

"But Eddy, we must be prepared for any falling pieces of sky" Ed said as he shook his restricted arm rapidly, causing Eddy to lose his grip and fall onto the floor.

Returning to the job at hand, Ed continued to push the bed into the doorway until couldn't budge.

Ed stood proudly before his annoyed friends as he declared "We are now as safe as-" his speech was silenced by his sister, who threw a Magic 8 at him; colliding with his forehead and knocking him out.

"Ed, you stupid buffoon; now we have to take the long way around!" she yelled as helped Jimmy back of the ground.

"He may have a point, Sarah. I'm seeing it again, my nightmare becoming reality" he whispered to his best friend.

"Oh cut it out, Jimmy. You keep that up and I'll have to keep you off those Belly Bomb Bon-Bon's for life" she replied quietly, but the threat of losing his favourite confectionary didn't help Jimmy calm down one bit.

"Come on, let's get out of here. The rain will ruin the popcorn machine if I don't bring it in" Ardan said as he went over to the bed and tried to remove it; with little success.

"My multi-purpose suitcase!" Edd yelled as he ran over and tried to help Ardan.

"Weaklings, Rolf will show true strength" he said as he came to their aid, as did Kevin, Jonny and Eddy.

Ed regained conscious and turned his head to find his friends trying to unblock the doorway.

"NO! We must stay here!" he shouted as he tried to get his friends away from the mattress.

One by one; Edd, Jonny and Eddy were pulled off and thrown to the centre of the room, where Nazz, Jimmy, Sarah and the Kankers watched on. Ed's progress slowed down considerably as Kevin, Ardan and Rolf were struggling to bring Ed under control.

Edd got up and walked sternly over to the three-on-one contest, and said "Ed, please stop. I have to get my technology advanced suitcase indoors before the rain short circuits it's-"

WHOOOSH

All of a sudden, the door and bed are blown off their makeshift fittings, followed by an unstoppable wind that blew everyone off their feet and flying towards the wall, then everything blacked out.

Slowly, Marie tried to open her eyes, but something was weighting them down. As she slowly got her hands up rubbed them, she felt a fine powder covering not only her eyelids, but also her entire face. She wiped off as much as she could, until she was finally able to open her eyes and see what had happened.

Eddy's room was a wreck; everything of some value was shattered and broken in infinite pieces, the golden fireplace was dented and white dust was falling from the walls and ceiling. She looked at her arms and found them covered in the same dust; thus explaining why her head and hands covered in it. She also found herself stuck under something large and heavy. Turning her head, she found that she was at the bottom of a body pile; no doubt made of her so called 'friends' and sisters.

Her eyes widened at the thought of whether or not her sisters and 'boyfriend' were safe. She struggled as she tried to drag herself out with her hands, while also trying to untie her legs from the maze of body parts that lay on top of her. Eventually, she managed to break free and stumbled onto her feet. The rest of her body didn't have as much dust as her arms and face, but she could feel several scratches and bruises all over herself. She then felt a sharp pain on the upper half of her right arm, just above the elbow. She found a wooden splinter piercing her skin, and swiftly pulled it out; causing her to groan from the pain. It left a gash about 1 cm deep and twice as wide. After throwing the bloodied splinter away, she turned around and found a body on the other side of the pile; covered in dust wearing a familiar ski hat on its head.

"Double D!" she screamed as she ran over and hauled Edd off the human pyramid and gently laid him on the ground, before kneeling down beside him.

"Please, say something, anything!" she begged as she checked his body for any injuries.

She held his wrist and felt a faint pulse growing weaker by with passing second. Fearing for her crush's life, she placed her hands on his chest and pushed it as rapidly as possible. When this failed, she opened his mouth with her hands and took in a deep breath. But just as she was about to give the kiss of life, she noticed that is lips were covered with dust. She sighed, and then rubbed it off to avoid any chance that both of them could choke from the dry wall particles.

"What's wrong with you, Double D; normally you would throw a fit if you found yourself covered in dirt or slime; especially dust" she said to herself as she opened his mouth, took in a deep breath, and moved her lips towards his.

"Dust?" whispered a faint male voice, causing Marie to stop just inches from his lips.

"Edd, is that you?" she asked, hoping for a response.

"Dust?" the slightly conscious boy asked, his lips moving slightly.

Realising that his mysophobia is getting him alert, Marie took advantage of it as she dramatically replied "Oh yes, Double D; your absolutely covered in it from head to toe. Look at your hands"

Slowly, Edd opened his eyes and brought his hands into view to find that the mystery voice was right.

"Oh no, dust; filthy, filthy, filthy!" Edd yelled as he sat up and cleaned his arms and face, causing dust to fly everywhere.

"AH-AH-ACHOO!" he sneezed, the velocity forcing his head backwards; landing on something soft.

He looked up, and saw Marie staring down at him; his noggin resting on her lap. He quickly scrambled back onto his feet, his face red with embarrassment.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry" he babbled, trying to control his blush.

Marie couldn't help but giggle as he nervously apologised to her.

"_So cute"_ she screamed in her head.

Further embarrassed by Marie's response, Edd turned his back towards her to hide his blush; only for him to forget about it completely when he saw the mess that was now Eddy's room.

"Good lord, what happened here?!" he yelled as he cringed at the unsanitary condition of his best friend's sleeping quarters.

"We'll worry about the little shrimp's junk later. Come on, we have to save the others" Marie said as she grabbed Edd's arm.

"Who are you calling 'little'?" came a confused voice from behind them.

Edd and Marie turned around to find Eddy slowly crawling out of the top of the body pile and stood up.

"Eddy, you're alive!" Edd cried as he and Marie ran over and helped him down onto the ground.

"What are you talking about?" Eddy asked as he slowly recovered and rubbed his eyes, revealing his once proud room as a centre of catastrophe.

"MY ROOM!" he screamed as his eyes darted around, looking for anything that wasn't damaged or destroyed.

"No time to salvage material possessions, Eddy; we must retrieve and revive our friends" Edd stated as he tried feebly pull Kevin out, while Marie tried to find her sisters.

"Never mind that; help me find my mirror ball!" Eddy yelled, but as was about to search, he tripped and fell onto his face.

"OW! What the-" he said as he was hoisted off the ground by his feet, dangling upside down facing a rather angry red headed woman.

"Never mind what, small fry?" Lee growled angrily as she held him by his shoelaces.

"I-I-I mean 'let's find the others'" he answered uneasily, hoping to avoid her wrath.

"Good, now get me out of here!" she screamed as she dropped him onto the ground.

As Eddy got back onto his feet and pulled Lee out of the body pile, Edd helped a now conscious Rolf back onto his feet.

"Rolf thanks you for your assistance, strong-as-a-breeze Ed-boy" he said as he straightened his back.

"Don't mention it, Rolf" Edd replied.

Meanwhile, Kevin managed to get back up by himself and looked around with worried look on his face.

"Nazz, where are you!" he yelled as he took in the destruction that had taken place earlier.

"Kevin?" whimpered a faint female voice.

Kevin noticed the sound coming from his right, near Eddy's closet. There he noticed a small hand poking out of the large, purple-spotted egg chair.

"Nazz?" he said as he rushed over and lifted the chair away, where he found her face down on the floor; along with Sarah, Jimmy and Jonny.

"Oh Kevin, thank you!" she exclaimed as he helped her up, which she rewarded by giving him a hug.

"No problem, babe" he replied as he hugged back.

As the two lovebirds reunited, Aiden had regained his conscious and pushed himself onto his feet.

"Ugh, what's going on?" he groaned as he rubbed his aching head.

"We have survived the atmospheric apocalypse, my fellow refugee of the cloudy terror!" Ed announced as he got onto his feet and pulled into Aiden into a bear hug.

"Let me go, lummox" Ardan gasped as he struggled to get out of Ed's death grip.

"No can do, for we have to scavenge for old cereal boxes in order to survive" he proclaimed as he squeezed him harder.

Suddenly, Ed's sight went black; causing him to panic "Oh no, I've gone blind"

"Don't worry, dream boat; I know a cure" said a blonde haired, bucktoothed girl as she removed her hands from Ed's eyes and turned his head around; resulting in him seeing May puckering her lips towards him.

"Girl germs!" Ed screamed as he dropped Ardan and ran into Eddy's closet, leaving a disappointed May behind.

During the ruckus, Sarah had woken up and was helping Jimmy back on his feet; his body shaking in fear.

"Are you all right, Jimmy?" she asked.

"It's happening, Sarah; it's really happening" he replied.

"Ugh, my poor head" said a muddled Jonny as he sat up, before he realised what was missing from his left hand.

"Plank, where are you, buddy?" he called out as he looked around, until he found his wooden friend sticking out of the wall.

"No!" he screamed as he ran over and retrieved him; then held him close to his ear, listening carefully.

"Wow, Plank; your lucky you only suffered a shaved grain" he sighed, relieved that his best friend was miraculously alright.

"So, what happened?" Ardan asked as he got back up.

"It appears that some kind of blast wave forced us off our feet and to fly towards the wall" Edd explained as he continued to inspect the room.

"But how could we have survived this, Double D?" Nazz asked as she held onto Kevin's hand.

Just then, Edd noticed that the bed was lying with its legs against the wall. He turned his attention towards the egg chair and window, before giving his answer.

"It seems that the bed and chair hand turned during the flight path, thus causing them to land on their legs and allow us to collide with them and reducing our potential injuries quite significantly. In addition, Ed's 'boarded window' had prevented us from any lacerations form the window" Edd concluded as the pointed to the battered furnishings and the glass riddled door, which still had some gum stretching back to the window frame.

"No need to thank me" Ed yelled from the closet.

"Blast wave? Like from a bomb?" Kevin asked as everyone became anxious.

"Possibly, but we won't know for sure unless we go outside" Edd replied as he pointed to the doorway, their view blocked by the smoke that emerged from outside.

"But who would want to go out there?" Jonny asked.

As everyone pondered over the loner's question, Ardan had a brain wave and yelled "Hey Ed, we need some brave and noble to scout the devastated backyard so that we can scavenge for supplies!"

Almost immediately, Ed stormed out of the closet and stop in front of them; then announced "I will venture forth into this obnoxious land and give the safety signal" before venturing outside.

"What if he falls off the ledge?" Jimmy asked as he freaked out.

"What ledge?" Ardan questioned, wondering what the flamboyant teen was talking about.

"Don't you see? It's too late. Aliens have sliced around our humble cul-de-sac and carried us off to their home world for experiments!" Jimmy yelled as he described his nightmare.

"Oh come on, Jimmy. Aliens don't exist, even if they are Rolf's relatives" Eddy stated, annoyed that the pain intolerant boy didn't let go of his silly nightmare.

"If he's right, maybe we should send the expert out along with Ed" Kevin suggested as he smiled evilly at him.

Offended by Kevin's comment, Jimmy started marching towards the doorway.

"Jimmy? Hey, wait up!" Sarah shouted as she ran after him.

"You sure buddy? Fine, but I must go with you" Jonny said to the piece of crayon-drawn wood as he followed them.

Shrugging their shoulders, Ardan and Rolf cautiously walked over to the door way and looked out. After a quick look, they signalled the others to come along; before venturing outside.

As they made their way out, Eddy cried "My lawn!"

To their right, they saw smoke billowing out of the pile of burnt ash that was once the patio.

"My suitcase!" Edd screamed as he saw the twisted metal and wires that made up his customised luggage carrier.

When Ardan didn't respond about the destroyed popcorn machine, Eddy turned around to yell at him; only to halt his action at the sight before him and thug on Edd's shirt to gain his attention.

What the rest were looking at was Ed, Sarah and Jimmy standing near a large black rock with holes riddles around it.

"It's a meteorite" Edd declared as he hurried over to the 10 foot tall space boulder, but was stopped by Ed; who stood in his way.

"Stay back, these are cloud eggs" Ed reported as he kept his intelligent friend at bay.

"That's enough, Ed. If we're going to find any answers as to what happened here, I must study this intergalactic piece of rock and metal" Edd declared as he walked sternly past him and began his observation.

"Yeah, lumpy; the sooner he says it's a meteor, the sooner I can sell it and pay to fix this place before my dad comes home" Eddy argued as he walked over and dragged Ed towards the pile of ash; no doubt going to get the muscle of the group do the dirty business of cleaning up the mess.

While Edd examined the meteorite, Marie looked up to find the sky dotted with flashes of lightning, followed by claps of thunder a few seconds later.

"Things don't look any better up there" she announced as she continued watching the sky dance with light.

"This is just so unordinary. First cloud migration from the east, then a meteor falling into Eddy's backyard, and now vicious thunder storms? This isn't right" Edd stated as he continued to study the meteorite.

"Whatever that is, it's not lightning" Marie said coldly as the witnessed beams of light falling down on the nearby housing estates.

Edd squinted his eyes to see the electrical flashes, then widened them when he realised she was right.

"It's a Meteor shower!" Edd screamed.

"And it's heading straight for us!" Ardan yelled as he, along with everyone else; watched in horror as it set fire to everything it touched.

"What should we do?" May asked frightfully, resulting in everyone looking at each other for a second before answering.

"RUN AWAY!" they cried as they scrambled out of Eddy's backyard.

"But where?" Sarah piped as they made their way towards the roundabout.

"Well, considering it's approaching us from the east, the only temporary solution is for us to travel west!" Edd replied as they headed towards Rolf's house; which was opposite Eddy's.

"Whatever, brainiac; just run!" Kevin yelled as he sprinted ahead of the group along with Nazz holding onto his hand for dear life.

As they rushed past the house and into the backyard farm, Rolf cried "Victor, Wilfred, Gertrude; tell the rest of Rolf's livestock to run for the hills! Flee for your miserable lives!"

Without delay, Rolf's goat, pig and chicken ran amok as the alerted the others; who in turn began to stampede in the same direction as the gang. As they reached the end of the farm, Rolf's cows charged through the fence; allowing everyone else to run through the gap and into the field that contained the town's electric pylons. Behind them, they could hear the faint sound of meteors whistling down and crashing into the ground as they entered the forest.

They glimpsed back and could see the houses on the far end of the roundabout being destroyed and set alight by the fiery lumps of space rock. Any intentions to stop and stare at the destruction, or to try and save what they could disappeared when they noticed that the meteor shower was now laying havoc on the roundabout; forcing them to keep moving. When they looked ahead, Rolf's farm animals were no longer amongst them.

"Where did the chickens go, Double D?" Ed asked, worried about his little feathered friends.

"It appears that Rolf's domesticated creatures have become lost in this maze of deciduous trees" Edd replied, his voice weak from exhaustion, which wasn't surprising considering his poor physique.

"Doesn't that mean we could be lost too?" Sarah questioned, resulting in the rest of the gang becoming concerned about their safety.

"Don't worry, guys; Plank and I know these woods better than the back of a racoon's paw" Jonny answered as looked around for any natural clues that could indicate where they should go.

"We're heading straight the cliffs!" he yelled.

Several minutes later, Jonny proved correct as they reached the end of the forest and halted at the steep cliffs that curtained the west side of the cul-de-sac.

"We're trapped!" Nazz shouted.

Looking back, they could see the forest being engulfed in flames as the downpour of meteors made its way towards them.

"We're all doomed!" Jimmy screamed as he hugged Sarah's arm.

Just as they were about to give up, Lee noticed a familiar feature in the cliff face just a few metres away.

"Quick, let's hide in that cave!" she yelled as she pointed at the large entrance.

With their morale was immediately restored, they rushed for shelter.

"So tired, can't go on" Edd whined as fatigue was catching up with him; along with the meteors.

Just when he was about to pass out, Ed managed to pick him off the ground and carry him under his arm. But before Edd could politely thank him for his assistance, his nose got a full whiff of Ed's unsanitary armpits; causing him to faint.

Meanwhile, Eddy had managed to get far ahead of the others as he tried to save his own skin; which didn't make the rest of the gang happy.

"I made it!" he yelled as he set foot at the cave's entrance.

Unfortunately, he also set foot on his shoelace; which lead to him falling face first into the dirt and allowing the rest of the gang to catch up and make their way into the cave.

"Nice move, flathead" Kevin said sarcastically as he passed him.

"His ego is so large, it's amazing he didn't think about getting into the hot air balloon business" Ardan stated proceeded onwards.

"Why does that always happen?" he asked himself as he got up and ran inside; just before a large meteor crash behind them and blew the gang deep into the cave; before they losing conscious.


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: Please visit my profile for announcements and news on updates.

Thump, thump, thump.

It is a sound associated with the beating of the heart; the will to go on; the existence of a person's life.

Unfortunately for one dark blue-haired farm boy, it meant something else.

"Ooh, Rolf suffers from woodpeckers in the head" he groaned as he sat up on the cave floor and rubbed his aching forehead.

He looked around, but couldn't see anything; not even if he put his hand in front of his face. Reaching into his pockets, he pulled out a matchbox; one of the few doohickies he found useful for illuminating a darkened area, especially when the Eds tried to scare him and his fellow Urban Rangers during their camping trip.

He struck the match and pulled a small candle out of his pocket. Matches were one thing he considered beneficial, but electric torches was definitely not one of them. Once lit, he was able to locate his friends; who were recovering from the second blast wave they survived today. Just as he was about to get up and give them a helping hand, he noticed something amiss nearby; sparkling in the candlelight.

While Rolf was busy with his investigation, Jimmy was the next person to get back up; which was surprising considering his fragile framework. But with Rolf gone, all he could see was darkness

"Sarah, are you there?" he called out as he tried to find his way around the cave.

"Jimmy?" answered back a familiar female voice.

"Where are you?" he asked, using his hands to guide his way over to her.

"How should I know? I can't see a thing" she replied as she too tried to feel her way over to him.

They kept wondering aimlessly, until they collided into each other and fell onto their backs; shortly followed by an awake and curious Edd flicking on a mini flashlight and re-illuminating the cave.

"Owie, Sarah!" he yelled as rubbed his backside.

While she attended to Jimmy's injury, Edd shone his flash light on the rest of his friends. There he saw them groaning as they tried to get back onto their feet.

"Hey, put that light down" Eddy said as the light passed over his eyes.

"Oops, sorry" Edd apologised.

But when he moved it away, it began to cause viewing problems for some else.

"Marie, you boyfriend is trying to blind me!" May screamed in terror as her sight became blurred in the artificial light.

"Shut up, May" Marie growled as she smacked her on the back of the head.

"Is everyone alright?" Nazz asked as she helped pull Kevin off the ground.

"Yeah, I'm fine" Ardan replied as he

"We're ok here" Jonny added as he held Plank by his side.

"Whatever" Lee groaned, the cheek on the right-hand side of her face bruised from the fall.

"Gravy" Ed chimed in.

"Hey, where's Rolf?" Kevin questioned, wondering where his backwards friend is.

"There he is" Sarah said as she pointed at the tall figure with the candle that approached them.

"Where were ya?" Eddy asked annoyingly.

"Rolf brings bad tidings" he replied anxiously.

"What do you mean, sheep boy?" Marie queried, to which Rolf simply waved for them to follow him.

As they trailed behind, they soon came face to face with the same sparkling mystery that puzzled Rolf. Their answer was a look of shock, horror and disbelief.

"Please tell me there isn't a meteor blocking the entrance" Edd groaned distraughtly as he face palmed in a poor attempt to avoid looking at the space boulder now squeezed snuggly inside the cave's entrance like a bathplug.

"The meteor isn't blocking the entrance" Ed repeated, causing an irritated Sarah to whack him on the top of the head.

"Great, now were stuck here and it's all her fault" Eddy complained as he pointed at Lee.

"If it weren't for me, you'd all be pancakes by now" Lee answered back while glaring at the little windbag.

"But the bad tidings aren't over yet" Rolf stated as he moved over to the walls.

His candle revealed a series of cracks trailing from the entrance. To make matters worse, a small tremor caused them to grow larger and small specks of rock to fall from the ceiling.

"No doubt that meteor shower is causing this place to fall apart" Ardan added, concern like everyone else for their safety.

"We're all gonna die" Jimmy sobbed as he cried into Sarah's shoulder.

"There's got to be another way out" Kevin said as he put his hand in his pocket and fished out a spare bike light.

Switching it on, he aimed the light down the cave and to his relief, and curiosity; it didn't reach a dead end.

"Follow me" he commanded as he led the way, shortly followed by all the others.

While Kevin and Edd lead the way with their electric lights, Rolf stayed at the back to keep a watchful eye on the cracks as they gradually made their way toward the gang.

"Strange, this cave wasn't on any off the maps I studied for geography class" Edd commented as he observed their surroundings.

"I don't remember this place being so big" Lee added, causing everyone to look back at her.

"You knew about this place?" Ardan asked.

"Let's just say me and the girls wanted to find our very own love cave for our boys" she replied slyly; causing the Eds to shiver in disgust, and the other Kankers to look at her in confusion.

"Why didn't you tell us?" May questioned.

"I found it the night before our boys went off to find Eddy's no good brother" Lee answered.

"Oh" May said as they continued to travel deeper into the cave.

"Are any of you guys getting cold?" Jonny asked as he began to shiver for a different reason.

"Yeah, talk about weird" Nazz added.

"I'm afraid the autumn season is already affecting the climate of this cave" Edd replied worriedly.

"Oh swell, so we're gonna either be crushed or frozen to death" Eddy moaned as his teeth began clattering from the ever decreasing temperature.

"How long does this thing go for?" Kevin asked himself.

"Hopefully long enough for the lunar storm to cease" Rolf replied; the tremor gradually getting louder, and the cracks were starting to catch up.

But after 15 minutes of walking, they came to a sudden halt as they found a wall blocking the way.

"Damn!" Kevin exclaimed.

"How can thing get any worse?" Edd said out loud, only to be answered by a rather loud snapping sound.

"Um, guys; we need to keep moving" Ed stated as he stood next to Rolf; pointing to the rocks that started falling from the ceiling about 5 metres away.

"And quickly" Marie added anxiously as they everyone started backing towards the dead end.

While everyone else was panicking, Ardan noticed something strange at the top of the dead end.

As he grabbed Edd's mini flashlight, the studious boy asked "Ardan, since when is it a good time to swipe my stuff?"

Ardan ignored him and shone the light upwards; which encouraged Edd to do the same. They saw what appeared to be a small gap at the top of the wall and a small breeze blowing dust slowing into their now crumbling cave.

"It's a way out!" Ardan called out, causing everyone else to look up as well.

"How are we going to scale up to that cavity?" Edd questioned.

Eddy stepped next to Edd and said "Simple. Ed, make a ladder!"

No sooner said than done, Ed put a big smile on his face and ran up to the wall. When he got there, he realised that even he wasn't tall enough to reach the gap.

"Rolf, need help here" he called out, to which the son of a shepherd gave Jonny his candle and came to assist his noble farm aid.

Once he climbed up and stood on Ed's shoulders, Rolf reached up and barely managed to grab onto the ledge.

"Quick everyone, climb for your miserable lives" Rolf barked.

"Why, thank you, Rol-" Edd said before being pushed out of the way by an impatient three-haired bloke.

"Women, children and me first!" Eddy babbled as he climbed up the human ladder and into the gap.

"Hey, come back you coward!" Kevin complained.

Once there, he started crawling through what turned out to be a small passage about 2 feet in height.

After a few minutes, he noticed something and yelled "Hey, there's some light in here!"

"Really?" Jonny asked hopefully as he held onto Plank.

"That's great!" Nazz beamed as she joyfully hugged Kevin.

As everyone cheered, Kevin declared "All right, all right; let's get out of here"

"You go first, Jimmy; I'm right behind you" Sarah assured as she helped him climb up Ed and Rolf's backs and into the passage; before she also got up as well.

"Up you go, babe" Kevin spoke as he gave her a leg up.

Kevin clambered up, followed by Ardan, Lee, Marie and May. But as Jonny reached the ledge, the earth began to tremble; causing him to lose his candle. And to make matters worse, the ceiling slowly began to collapse.

"Hurry, Jonny; we don't have much time!" Edd yelled as he tried to pull himself onto Ed's back, but his weak stature prevented him from getting even both of his feet off the ground.

All the while, Jonny and Plank had reached the cavern, while Rolf began to pull himself in. In response this, Ed grabbed one of Rolf's legs with his left arm; while using his right arm and legs to help lift the old countryman into the passage.

"Pull, Rolf!" Ed screamed, prompting the farm boy to drag himself along the floor and pull the last two Eds to safety.

Just as they scampered in, the ceiling collapsed; blocking any chances of returning there.

"Oh my, thank you Ed. And thank you too, Rolf" Edd said, grateful for their muscular assistance.

"Don't mention it, rubber band Ed-boy" Rolf answered back as they continued on.

Meanwhile, as Eddy was reaching the source of the light; he took in a deep breath and boasted "Ah, freedom; sweet, sweet freedo-AHH!" before falling.

Jimmy was frightened by Eddy's drop and thus stopped just before the ledge.

"Eddy, where are you?" Jimmy called out.

"Down here, fluffy" Eddy replied.

Looking down, Jimmy found Eddy lying on his back; having survived a 5 foot drop from the ledge and landed on the dirt floor. Before him, he noticed a large cavern big enough for the gang to take shelter.

"Come on, Jimmy; it's getting cramped back here" Sarah complained.

Despite the cramped space, his small frame allowed him to turn around lower himself down the ledge and land onto the dirt floor. Then it was Sarah's turn, but as Eddy was getting back onto his feet; she lost her grip and landed with her back on his belly.

"Get off me you whale!" Eddy grumbled.

"You weren't much help" she replied as she deliberately stood up on his stomach before moving on.

"I could use a little help here" Nazz called out, causing Eddy to forget about his back problems and stand up; his hands ready to catch her.

"Ready when you are" Eddy answered back.

"Show-off" Jimmy murmured.

As Nazz crawled out, she slipped on the ledge and landed her feet on Eddy's head; using it to leap and roll herself onto the ground safely.

"Thanks, Eddy" she said as she dusted her shirt.

"No problem" Eddy replied as he got back up; his vision blurred by the stars spinning around his head.

While Sarah and Jimmy were sniggering a Eddy's mishaps, Kevin managed to get down and went to check on Nazz.

"Are alright, babe?" he asked as he checked her arms for injuries.

"I'm fine, Kev; stop being such a worrywart" she replied as she pulled her hands back.

At the same time, Ardan and Lee managed to join them in the cavern and were now helping Marie down to the floor.

"Where's the exit?" Ardan asked as he got Marie onto her feet, before turning his attention back to getting May down.

Eddy shook his head to get rid of his mental stars, and then scouted ahead as Jonny managed to do an acrobatic flip to the ground with ease. As he travelled ahead, he found a beam of light shooting ahead of him; his curiosity encouraging him to take a closer look.

Meanwhile; Ed, Rolf and Edd had finally gotten down from the passage and joined the others; who were waiting for their volunteer scout to return with information regarding an exit from the freezing cave.

Several minutes later, Eddy finally returned. His face, however; didn't spell good news.

"What happened, Eddy?" Jonny asked.

Eddy simply looked at them in a deadpan state; before he replied "Come and see for yourself"

As they followed him, they noticed that the cavern gradually got bigger as they moved further in, but what really got their attention was when they saw where the light was coming from. To their frustration, they found that it was only a small beam about 5 millimetres in diameter; shining through what could be described as a small air hole on the right side of the cavern.

"Aw, man" Kevin groaned.

"You've got to be kidding me" Marie said, her word's summarising the annoyed vibe everyone had over the pathetic hole in the wall.

"No way; I'm not that cruel" Ed answered back, but for once no one conked him on the head, as the reality of the situation began to set in.

"So this is it?" Sarah asked, hoping, like everyone else; that somebody had a plan.

Eddy broke the silence when he added "If you think that's odd, look over there" pointing further down the cave.

Focusing their view further ahead, they spotted what why Eddy looked so deadpan in the first place.

"Is that; fog?" Edd queried as he rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

In front of them was the aforementioned fog; which blocked the path ahead of them with its misty presence.

"I'm guessing your real response translates to 'This isn't natural; it shouldn't be here and we must investigate further'" Ardan exclaimed.

Before Edd could respond to the witty remark, the rest of the gang set off Kevin, Ardan, Eddy and Rolf soon leading the way; with Edd trialling behind them. As they entered, they soon realised that that they didn't see any better than they were in the dark; not even Kevin and Edd's flashlights couldn't pierce through the thick haze.

"The air is too thick to know which way Rolf should go" he stated as they cautiously moved back out of the fog.

"What if we get lost in there?" Jimmy asked.

"How about we hold hands?" May suggested, giving a rather seductive look toward Ed.

Ed, who was terrified at such a situation; grabbed both Ardan's left hand and Rolf's right hand; thus saving him from having to touch her.

"Good idea; I'll take point. Edd, you watch our backs" Kevin commanded as he reached out for Nazz's hand, who accepted his gesture.

Realising that he was the only person aside for Kevin with an electric torch, he stood behind everyone as they lined up.

Kevin, Nazz, Ardan, Ed, Rolf, Eddy, Jimmy, Sarah, Jonny, Plank, Lee, May...

His pulse stopped as his mind suddenly grasped what was going on, as did Marie's hand when she clutched onto his. Despite the necessity of it all, he couldn't help but fear the peril that lay ahead, but it wasn't the threat of pitfalls or booby traps that worried him. What he feared was the threat of Marie taking advantage of him and the current circumstance to benefit her desire to 'be with him' as she described in their childhood days.

He was always nervous around girls, even when they were being nice to him. Even to this day, he felt uncomfortable whenever he was near one. And now, after years of peace following the 'ceasefire', all he could foresee was a lipstick riddled nightmare in the dense mist. And since they were now teenagers and technically legal, he knew it would be much worse. Yet almost instantly, those fears disappeared when he looked at Marie's face. Rather than looking like a cat who got the cream, she hid her face from him.

What he didn't notice was the blush that was growing on her cheeks. Unlike what happened at Eddy's house when he was unconscious, she was now holding his hand not just while he was awake, but also in a formal manner when compared of her old tactic of seducing him, or the even older one of just pulling him to a secluded spot and making out with him for hours on end. Sure she was holding his hand to keep him from getting lost, but she couldn't help but feel somewhat embarrassed; especially now that he was looking at her in confusion rather than fear.

"Alright, let's move" Kevin announced as he lead the gang into the unknown.

Proceeding into the fog, they're hand-to-hand conga line managed to prevent anyone from getting lost. Unfortunately, it didn't keep the line from going in the right direction either. As they moved deeper into the murky end of the cavern, they felt a strange presence around them, as if it was watching them. Dismissing it for the cold air that accompanies such weather, they kept traversing what felt like an endless tunnel.

But after what felt like hours of going in circles, they noticed that the fog was slowly getting thinner and thinner as they moved; in what they presumed was forward. Encouraged by this, the gang practically pulled and pushed each other towards what they hoped was the real exit. But their impatient rush for freedom caused Kevin to trip on a pebble and fall forwards; Nazz to trip on him, and Ardan to fall over her; until one by one they were all on the ground.

Ed slowly got up and saw that the fog had finally cleared, but just as he was about to tell everyone, he looked ahead and simply did nothing. All the while Eddy was dusting himself after yet another tumble.

"If this keeps up, I'm going to need a crash helmet 24/7" he nagged as he turned in Ed's direction, then asked "What's up with you, bonehead?" but when he saw what Ed was looking at, he joined him in silence.

As they others slowly got up, Ed grabbed Edd's beanie hat; causing the head sensitive boy to hold onto it for dear life and resulting in Ed lifting him off the ground and dropping him onto his feet. Edd was about to give him a good lecture on manners when he spotted something ahead of them; something familiar.

Ardan was busy rubbing his bruised shoulder when he caught a glimpse at what caught the Ed's attention; causing him to stop and stare for a minute, then spoke "You've got to be kidding me"

Ed didn't even give a sarcastic response to his words, as he was too stunned to look away from the large wall that stood in front of them. But it wasn't another simple dead end; for it was over 25 feet tall, 22 feet wide and had carved writing on the lower third arranged in 4 vertical lines; while the upper two thirds was decorated with a large black emblem in the centre, while the rest was decorated with large spiral carvings that sprawled along the rest of the wall as it curves into the cavern.

"It's that weird thing we saw on TV!" Jonny yelled, but Ed quickly placed his hand over his mouth before shushing him.

"Be quiet, or the anteaters might hear us" he whispered as he kept a stern lookout for the aforementioned mammals.

"Knock it off you dolt, we've got bigger things to worry about than your stupid anteaters!" Eddy yelled as he slapped the back of Ed's head.

"Yeah, wasn't that artefact supposed to be black?" Marie added.

Oddly enough, she was right, as the object in that stood before them wasn't made of the same pure black stone they saw televised from Scandinavia. Instead, it was composed of a light grey rock that allowed their flashlights to fully illuminate the beautiful carvings in the upper levels and the smooth polished finish on the lower half.

"Indeed and there's something odd about this one that I can't put my finger on" Edd stated as he studied the carvings on the lower half of the artefact.

"Looks the same to me" May piped as she tried to find the difference between the two.

"What does it say?" Sarah asked, keeping Jimmy in a firm hug as they looked on anxiously.

"It's impossible to tell at this point. Even though it appears to be structurally written in English, I can't tell what these carvings indicate. It could take months for me to figure out what it says in its own language alone. And that's not counting the time I'll need to try and translate it to English afterwards" Edd concluded, gradually making his way closer to the artefact as he spoke.

"Don't go near it, Double D" Ed whispered loudly, but he ignored him and moved closer to the carvings; stopping about a foot away to get a clear view and started examining the strange writing.

Ed's warning did little to deter the others, as one by one they eventually made their way towards the strange structure, stopping at the same distance away from it as Edd was and stood close to each other, their eyes showing a mix of intrigue, concern, curiosity and fear.

"Do you remember seeing this in your nightmare, Jimmy?" Nazz asked as she stared at the groves and dots that marked the wall.

"No, all that I saw were giant blades cutting the cul-de-sac out of the ground and taking us into space. I didn't even see one of these big, scary, horrific…walls appearing out of nowhere" he replied as he kept a tight grip on Sarah's hand.

"Rolf agrees with Jimmy; this structure cannot be one of the nymph lairs that many an old country elder has warned us mere locals about, as they only exist in the Old Country. We must be wary of what evil spirits could lie within" Rolf said cautiously.

"There's something fishy about this. First we see this on TV an ocean away, then we find one here inside the cliffs" Lee added.

"Considering we survived a meteor shower and a tunnel collapse; things just can't get worse than this" Kevin declared, keeping a good grip on Nazz's hand.

Ardan, uneasy by the jock's choice of words, warned "Never say that, Kevin; if there's one thing I've learned back home, it's that bad things do happen when you say things like that"

"Jeez, Ardan; your starting to get as seditious as Ed" Eddy remarked annoyingly.

"That's 'superstitious', Eddy" Edd corrected as he continued to examine the carved words.

Speaking of which, while everyone else was busy staring at the artefact, Ed had finally plucked enough courage to move up and join them in the gazing contest; albeit very slowly and quietly while keeping a watchful eye out for any hanky-waving monsters. But as he reached the back of the human wall, the ground shook violently causing him to jump; partly due to the fright and partly due to his foot slipping on a pebble. This caused the strongman to collide with the huddled group and launch everyone into the monolith; resulting in the gang slamming into the wall before landing on the ground.

"Anteaters!" Ed screamed as he got back up.

But once he did, he felt something grab his feet and give a vicious pull, causing him to land face first onto the stone floor; his arms taking the brunt of the fall.

"Help me, guys; they've got me!" he begged.

"Shut up, bonehead!" Sarah yelled.

Noticing that his sister's voice was coming from behind him, he looked back to find that it wasn't anteaters that tripped him, but instead it was Sarah, Kevin, Rolf, Eddy and Ardan who each had a hold on Ed's legs. The rest watched as they got up, clearly sensing the disapproval they had for his overactive imagination.

"Ed, please keep your personal demons to yourself; its rather dangerous if you mention them" Edd said as he dusted his shirt.

"What happened?" May asked, causing everyone to ask the same question.

"It seems that another meteor has crashed into the cliffs" Edd replied as he looked up at the ceiling, which thankfully didn't crack from the impact.

"When will this day end, buddy?" Jonny asked, holding Plank close as he, as well as everyone else; began to remember the terror and destruction they witnessed earlier today.

"How are we going to survive?" Marie questioned as she kept close to her sisters.

"It will take forever for Rolf to rebuild his farm" he sniffled as he remembered his beloved home being torn apart as they fled.

"No more chickens!" Ed wailed as he cried into Rolf's shoulder, causing him to also break down crying.

"What if were trapped here forever?" Sarah asked as she cried with Jimmy.

"This is so depressing" Ardan commented as he wondered how he was going to move on.

"Yeah, I never got to own my brother's room" Eddy added as he pulled out a tissue and blew his nose.

"How could you still be thinking about that jerk's room at a time like this?" Nazz asked in shock.

"Only a dork like Eddy can" Kevin answered back, causing everyone to look back at him before looking in the direction of one now furious three-haired teen.

"Now gentlemen, no need to do something we will all regret" Edd declared cautiously as he tried to control the situation.

But just as the tension between Kevin and Eddy was about to explode into violence, they heard an unusual noise behind them. Slowly they turned around and saw the carvings on the lower half of the wall were starting to crackle as if they were on fire. In fact, they were on fire; as slowly the crackling got louder and the carvings one by one began to burn in a light blue fire.

"Oh my" Edd squeaked as he froze in shock.

"That tremor must have set off a trap" Marie stated as kept close to Edd.

"Sarah, I'm scared" Jimmy whispered as he held onto her arm.

"I don't like the look of this either, Plank" Jonny said as he conversed with the lump of wood.

Suddenly, the flames began to shift and form fireballs where the chunks of carvings were. And to their astonishment, they started to form what could be words; in the English language.

"Ok; this is getting weirder by the minute" Nazz said as she looked at the ghostly flames burn furiously.

"What does it say, Double D?" Eddy asked as squinted his eyes in an attempt to tell what it said.

"Yes; tell us, brainy Ed-boy" Rolf added.

"Very well then" Edd replied as he stepped up the steps to get a better view.

"Well?" Lee asked impatiently.

To which Edd replied "It says,"

_Hearken now, sons of snow, to an age long ago,  
And the tale, boldly told, of the one!  
Who was kin to both…wrym, and the races of man,  
With a power to rival the sun_

"What?!" Eddy yelled as he ran over and pushed Edd out of the way.

"So poetic" Jimmy complimented as he temporarily forgot their current circumstance in Edd's reading of the fiery rhymes.

"A power to rival the sun?" Ardan queried as he made his way towards Eddy.

"The spirits have sent a message, but what for; Rolf can't figure it out" he added as he joined them.

As everyone rushed over to read the verse composition, they started to wonder what it meant.

"This doesn't make much sense" Sarah ranted.

"What's a 'wrym' anyway?" May questioned.

"Wryma lama ding dong?" Ed asked, which didn't help in answering her question, but it didn't matter as she was staring at her crush; who for the first time today answered her; if in an indirect way.

As they continued to bicker over the blazing piece of poetry, Ed managed to get back up and noticed that the flames were slowly starting turn into small fireballs; causing the brainy boffin of the group to panic.

"Um, people?" he asked causing the crowed to look at him.

"What?" they replied.

"BEHIND YOU!" he screamed as the fireballs collided with each other; forming a giant one.

"What's going on?!" Jonny cried, jumping back as the giant inferno grew until it was as high as the artefact itself.

"Let's lose it man!" Kevin yelled as he grabbed Nazz's hand and dragged her back to the fog.

"Right behind ya" Lee added as she and May followed suit, while Marie went over to help Edd.

"Come on, Edd; we have to go" Marie pleaded as she tried to get him moving.

But as they got up, they noticed that the fireball was turning into an oval shape, and its fiery spectacle became less furious; almost as if it weren't meant to kill.

"Since when did a fireball get so calm?" Marie asked herself out loud.

"This is not a normal fireball" Edd replied worriedly.

Just then, they felt a breeze coming from behind, and the flames started to flow into itself; which was all Edd needed to know what was happening.

"Quickly; hang on to the stairs" Edd said as he grabbed onto the steps that leaded up to the unusual fireball.

"Huh?" she asked, only to be replied by a sudden wind sucking her towards the inferno.

"WAAH!" she screamed as she lost her footing in the ever increasing wind speed.

Edd just managed to grab onto her ankle as she flew past him, but this caused him to get anxious about his strength; especially since he wasn't the strongest of the lot, and he was already slipping.

"Hold tight, Marie!" Edd yelled.

But suddenly, he saw a terrified Jimmy fly past him into the fiery blaze.

"SARAH!" he cried as he disappeared.

"JIMMY!" screamed the aforementioned girl as she joined her friend and vanished without a trace.

"Help me, Kevin!" Nazz yelled as her boyfriend tried to grab onto the dirt floor.

"I'm trying!" he answered back, but he lost his grip and soared into the fireball, their petrified voices ringing in the cavern as they faded from existence.

"This is it, buddy!" Jonny yelled as he also became a victim of the mysterious flame.

"Do something, Ed!" Eddy shrieked hysterically.

"We're goners, Eddy!" he replied as they were swept away by the relentless vacuum.

"Oh god; help!" Ardan prayed as he followed suit and ceased to exist.

"Have mercy on our pathetic souls!" Rolf begged, before he met the same fate and was pulled into the vortex.

"Give us a hand, Marie!" Lee screamed as she, along with May; drifted towards the whirlpool of fire.

Marie reached out and tried to grab her sister's hand, but they were moving too fast for her and ended up being swooped past her and Edd to their doom.

"No!" Marie called as she watched on.

And things got worse. Not only did she fail in her rescue attempt, but her outstretched arm didn't help Edd's fingers. Despite being the weakest, he was able to use his knowledge of wind resistance and aerodynamics to decrease the amount of drag he and Marie had; therefore increasing the duration in which he could hold onto the steps. Her body movement in trying to save her sisters upset that delicate balance and caused Edd to rely on his insufficient strength to keep them from being sucked in.

"I can't hold on much longer!" Edd warned, followed by his fingers finally giving out and letting the last two survivors get dragged into the fireball.

"AHHHHHH!" they screamed as they flew in.

Edd quickly lost his grip on Marie's ankle and the two separated as they hit the fireball. But rather than feel his flesh burn, he saw himself in a strange tunnel with the same faint blue colour and blazing effects of the vortex. After a few seconds of floating in an endless void, he found himself falling down and landing on a soft grassy slope; rolling down in a fast speed until it levelled on a very bumpy plain on his side. He noticed that he was on a rocky terrain, but didn't have time to survey where he was, as the pain and exhaustion from the tumble caused him to pass out; the last thing in his view was of tall trees and a white cloudy sky.


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: Please visit my profile for announcements and news on updates.

Edd's brain was in a shambles. In less than one day he witnessed discovery of an unknown artefact, the fiery and destructive capabilities of a meteor shower, avoided being crushed by collapsing cave, discovered yet another unknown artefact of almost identical appearance, and saw strange ghostly fire translate the strange writing into English; only for it to turn on them and suck them into a blazing inferno; which didn't burn them and resulted in having him end up in a quiet place out in the open.

"And I though the journey to Mondo A-Go Go was exhausting!" he groaned quietly to himself as he put his hand to his head.

As he opened his eyes, he found the sky above him was gone and replaced with what appeared to be a stone ceiling. Once he sat up, he noticed that he was in an enclosed space with three stone walls to his sides and back, while some metal bars were constructed from one stone pillar to another in front of him; with the centre being fitted with hinges to form a door and the rest forming a barrier. A faint glow of candle light came from outside the slightly dank room.

His brain stopped as he realised he was in a prison cell. Looking at the rest of his body, he was horrified to find that he was not wearing his usual orange t-shirt and purple shorts, but instead was clad in a hessian shirt and pants with some of the rough cloth wrapped and tied around his feet as makeshift shoes. Only his undergarments were spared, but what really got him worried was when he patted the top of his head. To his despair, his beloved ski hat was missing, exposing his secret to the whole world. Without thinking, he removed his shirt and tied it like a bandana over his head with the sleeves acting as a chinstrap. Once done, he rushed over to the cell door and looked desperately for answers.

"Hello. Is anybody there?" he called out, but no one responded.

He took the moment to study the surroundings outside his cell. The first thing he noticed was that it was circular; which intrigued him to look up at the ceiling. He was fascinated by the stone beams arch ever so slightly from the pillars that divided the prison cells; joining up with a central pillar of stone and wood. Or what would be stone and wood if most of the stone pillar was gone; leaving it to the sturdy oak beams to bear the brunt of the stone ceiling. Normally this would make him panic, but instead it astounded him; despite it being made of sturdy oak that was more than 100 years old for it to achieve such a height. The area was better lit than his cell; with a candle on each pillar around the main one and a large rusty chandelier hanging above the other end of the room illuminating a table and chair beneath it.

Remembering his earlier attempt to plea for assistance, he got his voice ready for a second try; until he heard a rustling noise from behind. As he turned his head, a monstrous groan came from the layer of straw at the back of the cell; the lack of light making it hard for him to know what it was. Suddenly he saw someone sit emerge from beneath the straw; sitting up and rubbing the back of his or her head before it noticed Edd.

"Who are you?" it queried in a deep, harsh male voice as he jumped off the straw pile and made its way slowly towards him.

Once he made it past the halfway point, the candlelight revealed a green-skinned bloke with pointy ears and large under-teeth protruding out of his bottom jaw from his mouth.

'And I thought today was crazy enough!" Edd screamed in his mind; terrified that he was stuck a cell with a fictional brute.

"I said; who are you?!" he snorted as he moved closer until he was at arm's length from the trembling bookworm.

"Look, I can explain" Edd replied; but was stopped when the brute reached out and grabbed his makeshift hat; causing him to hold it down with both hands to hide his cephalic secret.

At the same time; the green savage raised his hand and yelled "You will answer...me?" his voice becoming a normal and confused at the last word as he looked at his clenched fist; before letting go of Edd and checking the other.

"AHHH, I'm a victim of the Morris dancing Anteaters!" the brute screamed as he rubbed his skin vigorously as if he was cleaning himself.

Edd was baffled by his reactions, but when he noticed the brute's blue eyes, crew cut red hair and almost non-existent chin; the answer mentally hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Ed, is that you?" he asked as he stepped away from the cell door.

Almost instantly the brute stopped as he looked at Edd, and then replied "How do you know my name?"

"Oh come on, Ed. It's me; Double D, your friend!" Edd exclaimed.

The brute got closer and inspected the shirtless intellectual; most of the time staring at his face like there was something unusual about it.

But like microwave popcorn, a bell went off in the brute's brain as he yelled "Double D; it really is you!" as he pulled him into a bear hug.

"Ed…need…air" Edd squeaked, which he obeyed and placed him onto the ground.

"Where are we, Double D?" Ed asked as he looked around the dark cell.

"We appear to have been imprisoned in some sort of dungeon" he replied.

"It must be the Anteaters" Ed fretted as he returned to cleaning his skin.

"Ed, I'm afraid it's not only your skin that has changed" Edd said as he pointed at his face.

"Says you" Ed answered back in a matter-of-act kind of way as he folded his arms.

Just as Edd was going to ask why; they heard the rustling sound again. Turning their attention back to the straw-covered floor, a pair of hands reached out and rapidly removed the dry stalks; throwing it around the place.

"What the hell?!" it yelled as it coughed and spitted from the rather dusty straw.

Sitting up, the figure turned out to be a male with blue eyes, pale-tanned skin and pointed ears. But when they saw his flattop hair combined with its three long fringe strands; only one word popped in their heads.

"Eddy!" they cheered as they went over to him.

"What the…AHH!" he screamed as he jumped back from them and pointed at Ed "Who are you?"

"That's Ed, Eddy" Edd replied as the green brute rushed forward and gave his loudmouth friend the bear hug treatment.

"Why does he look like a troll doll?" Ed asked as he tried to reshape Eddy's black hair.

"Like you look any better!" he barked as he slapped Ed's hand away and turned to Edd "What's his problem?"

"Eddy, I know this is hard to believe, but you do look different" Edd replied

"You two are the ones who need a mirror!" he argued, pointing at his two close friends as if they were aliens.

Frustrated with his ignorance, Edd stated "Eddy, this is serious. We've been imprisoned and-"

"What?!" he yelled in disbelief, then noticed the prison bars ahead of him and ran up to the door "Hey, let us out of here!"

"I already tried that, Eddy" Edd declared as he watched him rattle the cell door "_Then again; his vocal talents may just be enough to gain our abductor's attention"_

"Hey guys, I found a mirror" Ed said as he pointed at an object at the left side of the cell; not far from the prison bars.

"That's a bucket you moron!" Eddy snapped.

Undeterred, Ed grabbed the rope handle and lifted the bucket over to his friends and placed it on the ground. He then grabbed Eddy by the back of his head and forced him to look in; revealing that it was full of water. Even through the distant candlelight outside the cell, the de facto leader of the trio got a real shock when he saw his new looks; especially his long, thin pointy ears.

"Holy crap, I've been turned into a dwarf" Eddy cried as he touched his angular facial features.

Edd was impressed by his friend's primitive method of visual reflection, but that went out of the window when he saw himself in the wooden pail's liquid contents. He received a real eye-opener when he noticed that his face was slightly angular like Eddy's, but still mostly human; while his ears were faintly pointed at the upper helix.

When Ed saw his changed his appearance, he did nothing but stare at himself. Edd himself noticed that the lovable oaf's ears were somewhat similar to that of a pig; although he would never say that to one of his best friends; even if they were stronger than all the strongest men in the world combined. But after a full minute, Ed spoke three simple and bewildering words.

"I'm an Orc"

"Huh?" Edd and Eddy asked.

"I'm an Orc; one of the beastly people of the Worthgarian Mountains, Dragontail Mountains and Orsinium!" he announced proudly.

Eddy was questioning his idiotic friend's grip on reality, but Edd's jaw almost touched the floor as he realised what Ed was talking about.

"And you're a Wood Elf; a member of the clan-folk of Valenwood" he added; pointing at the shortest of the trio.

"A what?!" Eddy snapped as the 'Orc' pointed at the last man standing.

"And you're a-"

"Breton, the descendant of a human-elf hybrid race; originating from High Rock" Edd finished.

"All right; you two are officially mad" Eddy declared as he distanced himself from the others.

Meanwhile, a lone figure in another cell was woken up by the bickering Eds. He was about to yell at them for ruining his sleep; when he noticed to his left that there was a pretty blonde woman sleeping a few feet away; unaffected by the noises nearby. Deciding to take advantage of the situation, he got up and tiptoed over to her. But his snapping and rustling of the straw-bedding was enough to stir her from her slumber. Once she opened her eyes, she was greeted by a tall, light-skinned man with brown hair and an intentional look in his eyes; causing her to panic.

"Get away from me!" she screamed as she pushed him away and rolled over the person sleeping next to her.

"What? It can get lonely in prison" the stranger said as he approached to her.

Unknowing to both of them, the person that was supposedly asleep between the two was awakened by their quarrel. He opened his eyes to find the girl on his left, who he found familiar to someone he knew; screaming in fear as the sinister stranger on his right was just about to walk over him to get to her. His instincts went into action as he swung his right fist in an uppercut at the stranger's jaw; hitting him right under the chin and causing him to lose balance and land on his back; the straw offering little comfort on the stone floor.

"AHH, don't hurt me!" she shouted as she became terrified of the straw-covered stranger as it sat up.

Her fears disappeared when she realised who the person that saved her was. He had light-skinned like the perverted stranger, yet when she saw his light green eyes, red shaved hair with its long fringe and trademark chin, she instantly realised who her protector was.

"Kevin!" she yelled happily as she hugged the living life out of him.

"What the…" he said, shocked that he was being hugged by the blonde-haired woman "Wait, blonde hair?"

It was then he realised who the fair-skinned and beautiful blonde girl with the slightly pointed ears was.

"Nazz, you're alive!" Kevin shouted as he hugged her back.

"Oh Kev, I thought I lost you" Nazz whispered as she tried to forget the scary fireball.

"Where are we?" he asked as looked over her shoulder as the stone walls.

"I don't know" she replied as she looked over his shoulder and noticed the pervert on the floor lying still "Is he alright?"

Kevin broke the hug and looked at the creep, then replied "Probably unconscious"

"I'm the only honest guy out the three, and I say that were not in a game!" a familiar voice shouted; so full of ego that it was fit to burst.

"Your right; because this isn't a game, its reality and you know it as well as I do!" another familiar voice stated wisely as if it was the most knowledgeable person in the world.

"I don't know anything at all!" yet another familiar voice added; it's voice clearly from someone who barely had a brain.

It didn't take long for the two to realise who was speaking through the left side of their cell.

"Ed, Edd, Eddy?!" Nazz cried as she ran towards the cell entrance and poked her head through the square-shaped railings, as the door's rectangular ones were too small.

"Nazz?" Edd called out as he headed to the cell railings and pushed his head through and found the blonde-haired girl in the cell to his right.

"Whoa, what happened to you?" she questioned as she noticed his more angular face and ears.

"It's a long story" he answered; unsure to tell her what she had become.

Kevin caught up with Nazz and looked towards Edd; just in time for Eddy to poke his pointy eared head through the railings; placing him in front of Edd.

"Dude…" Kevin sniggered; until he couldn't hold it in any longer and started laughing his head off at Eddy's expense.

"How come he gets to look normal?" Eddy mumbled.

It was then that Ed stuck his head through the railings on the other side of the cell door, but the distance didn't hamper Kevin and Nazz's vision of what had happened to him.

"Ed, you're…you're an-" Nazz stuttered.

"An Orc indeed; fair Breton maiden" he added before focusing on Kevin "And greetings to you, brave Nord of Skyrim"

"What's Ed talking about?" Kevin asked.

"I'm afraid we seem to have somehow ended up in the fictional Elder Scrolls universe" Edd explained; looking away every few words for any signs of their captors.

"Aw, come on; do you really think we could end up here?" Eddy bragged as if he knew the secrets of the universe.

"Eddy; we survived meteor showers, a collapsing cave and a large fireball; after what I went through, I'd believe Edd any day" Nazz stated.

"Besides, why would we ask someone who has the smallest brain out of all of us?" Kevin bragged smugly.

"That's only because Ed doesn't have any" Eddy barked.

"Plank; where are you?"

"Jonny?!" they called out; noticing the male voice was coming from the cell opposite the Eds.

"Hey guys!" the voice yelled as it pushed its head through the railings and looked to his right "Have you seen Plank?"

It was indeed Jonny; but his skin was now much darker than before the meteor shower. His body looked stronger, though not as much as Kevin or Ed; while his hair was somewhat more curly than before.

"Wow, Jonny; you're a Redguard; swift conquers of Hammerfell" Edd declared.

Puzzled, Jonny checked his hands to notice his toned muscles and soft hair, which weren't there before. After looking over the others, particularly Ed and Eddy; he realised what they were on about.

"Oh boy, you mean we're in the game?!" Jonny asked as his adventurous side kicked in.

"Not just a game, Jonny; we've seem to have landed ourselves in a very real world" Edd finished.

"Wait a minute" Nazz said to herself, which gained everyone else's attention; she then asked "Jonny, are any of the other boys and girls in you cell?"

He returned his head into the cell and looked behind him, then poked his head back out and replied "There are four other people sleeping on some straw in here"

"Well then wake them up Jonny; Nazz and I will check ours" Kevin ordered as he and his girlfriend went to examine their straw beds.

"But be careful, some may not like their changes" Edd warned as he and the Eds went to search for the rest of their gang.

Jonny slowly made his way over to a dozing woman with leaf-shaped ears and tanned skin much like Eddy's, but her long blond hair and buck teeth made it easy to tell who it was.

"Hey, May; wake up" he said as he shook her lightly; causing her to wake up.

She yawned loudly and stretched her arms out before getting onto her feet; noticing the stone walls and prison bars in front of her.

"Where's my dear Ed?" she asked worriedly.

"He's in the cell next to us" Jonny answered as he continued his search, while May decided to find her sisters.

Meanwhile, Nazz and Kevin noticed the perverted stranger was awake and busy goggling at a woman with pale golden skin, curved pointy ears and curly red hair.

Aware of who his next 'victim' is, Kevin rushed forward and warned "Keep away from her"

He turned at him as if he were mad, and then asked "Seriously, you'd defend a weak Altmer, a goldrod?"

But before Kevin could respond to the racist comments, the woman in question punched the pervert on the nose; causing him to stumble to the back of the cell. The woman stood up and marched over to the stranger; who was too busy trying to stop his nose from bleeding to notice her as she grabbed him by the neck and forced him to look at her.

"What's your name?" she asked angrily; which terrified him.

"L-L-Lokier" he squeaked out as he struggled in vain to loosen her tight grip on his neck; which she responded to by digging her nails into his skin.

As he squirmed in pain; she smiled wickedly and said "Normally I'd take advantage of such an opportunity" He gulped at her choice of words "But all I see is a pathetic piece of garbage. Besides; you're not even a cute looking fella to begin with. So let's make a deal, Lokier; you leave me and my pals alone, and I won't garrotte you with your family jewels; agreed?"

"A-Agreed" he answered back; his voice weak from her vicious grip.

"Good" she finished, then slammed his back into the wall before letting go; causing him to lose conscious once again.

The Altmer woman turned her attention to the two humans who witnessed her barbarous actions, looked around the cell and asked "Could someone please tell me why we're in a jail with a no-necked bug?"

Nazz replied "But Lee, Don't you even know that-"

"I've turned into a magical elf like those in that game?" Lee finished "Just cause me and my sisters live in a trailer doesn't mean we can't play the same things you guys do"

"Speaking of your sisters" Kevin added as he looked at the straw bedding and found no one lying on it apart for Lokier the pervert.

Back at Jonny and May's cell; they managed to locate Rolf and wake him from his deep slumber.

"Oh, why must such overwhelming burden fall on the son of a shepherd when he's already full of them" he groaned; suffering from yet another headache.

"We're in the Elder Scrolls world, Rolf!" Jonny exclaimed excitingly.

"Rolf is confused"

"Yeah, you look like an Imperial" May added before she continued to search for Lee and Marie.

Rolf didn't change much, as he had the same swarthy skin, though not as dark as Jimmy's, same blue hair and sharp facial features. Though still unsure about what was going on, he noticed a bucket of water and decided to quench his thirst.

Not too far away from them, Jonny noticed a Nord with short regular brown hair and light brown eyes was sitting up and yawning.

"Hey, Ardan; great news; we're in the Elder Scrolls game!" he yelled as he tried to drag the Irishman onto his feet.

"Wait, what?" Ardan questioned.

Jonny only stopped his overactive action when he noticed a sleeping figure to Ardan's left; its ears shaped to a point and it's skin looked as if it had been swimming in cement. Ardan himself was puzzled by the anonymous person next to him until he noticed the light blue hair that covered its right eye.

"Oh boy" he said to himself as both he and Jonny began to worry, especially as May located her sister and rushed towards her.

"Marie!" she yelled frantically, causing the figure to sit up and look towards the Wood Elf.

"May?" she asked in shock as she noticed her sister's pointy ears and tanned skin; as well as the guy's rather distinct racial differences.

Her eyes caught sight of Rolf drinking from the bucket with his hands and rushed over. As he retrieved another handful, she shoved him out of the way and waited for the ripples to settle. After a few seconds, she stared silently at her reflection; the ash-coloured skin, the angular face, the blood red eyes and the small bat-like pointed ears; all of which caused tears to form into her eyes and fall into the water.

"_I'm a monster! What will he think of me?"_ she thought; widening her eyes as she looked fearfully in cases her crush had seen her; which changed to panic as she realised he wasn't even here.

"Edd?" she murmured as May went over to help her up.

In the cell next to them; a bare-chested Edd stood at the door with his hands over his mouth as his friends were tossing straw all over the place as they tried to find the others; causing dust to fly everywhere and prevent the allergic Breton from assisting them. He thought he could hear a soft sobbing from Jonny's cell, but was distracted by the booming voice of an angry Bosmer.

"Stop being a sissy and help us out over here!" Eddy grumbled as he throwing the dry bedding into the air.

"I would if I could see where I was going" he replied through his mouth.

"Marco" Ed said as he shovelled on.

Sighing, Edd pulled the chinstrap from his makeshift hat over his mouth to act as a dust mask and made his way towards them.

"Marco" Ed repeated as he kept searching.

"Find anything yet, Double D?" Eddy asked.

"I can't see a thing" he replied as he tried to find his way through the inedible wheat stalks that fluttered in front of him.

"Marco" Ed repeated yet again.

Just then, something caught onto Edd's leg and tripped him; causing a huge amount of straw to dance in the air when he landed on the ground, or at least that's where he thought he landed.

"Polo?" Ed asked as he and Eddy turned their attention to the sight of Edd lying face to face on top of a young woman with olive-toned skin, pink eyes and long flowing hair.

"Oh, Edd" she called in an innocent yet sarcastic way; causing the poor boy's eyeballs to widen as he realised who the person with the sinister face was "GET OFF OF ME!"

The man in question immediately jumped off of her and backed up quickly until his back was against the prison bars.

"Baby sister's ok!" Ed yelled as he ran over and hugged her from behind "Cool, you're an Imperial; from the cosmopolitan province of Cyrodiil"

Ed's surprise greeting and boastful speech earned him yet another hard smack on the head by the short-tempered Sarah; causing the Orc to let go of here.

Once free, she looked around and angrily asked "Where's Jimmy?"

"How should I know, I've been trying to find him and the others for the last half hour" Eddy replied aggravatingly.

"Actually, Eddy; It's only been 22 minutes" Edd corrected as he returned from to the centre of the cell; having recovered from Sarah's uproar.

While they were arguing, Ed managed to recover from the earlier hit to the head and noticed something shifting in the straw at the back of the cell. He tiptoed backwards without moving his eyes until he was amongst his cell mates.

"What's wrong with you, bonehead?" she asked as she noticed his silence.

"Um, Sarah; I know this may sound annoying, but why aren't you unsettled by the fact that your elder brother is an Orc and Eddy is a Wood Elf?" Edd asked nervously, wondering why she wasn't worried about the drastic changes to some of her childhood friends.

"It's simple; girls are pretty and boys are ugly" she answered "Well, most of them anyway" she added, smirking as she watched the headwear enthusiast blushed madly at her words.

"Sarah?" a voice called out; it sounded familiar, yet it had a strangely Arabic accent. "Darn it, where am I?"

Slowly, they watched the straw move around as a mysterious figure tried to sit up. What they saw filled Sarah and the Eds with fear and curiosity; as they saw the strange person stand up and look around. When it saw Sarah; she could see a pair of magenta eyes with large round pupils glimmering at her.

"Jimmy?" she asked, hoping it was her best friend.

"Sarah?" it replied as it stepped forward just enough for the candle light to reveal who it was.

Everyone gasped as they saw a pair of furry legs carry what appeared to be a male feline humanoid with silver-white fur with black stripes, paw-like hands, long tail, cat ears and a face that reminded them of the wildcats or lynxes they saw on the zoo field trip years ago. The creature stopped as it's now vertical slit eyes focused on the fierce looking Orc next to her.

"Sarah, monster; behind you!" he screamed as it stood in fear.

"Um, you better check yourself out, curly" Eddy commented, pointing to the bucket of water that was next to the creature.

When he looked in, he half yelped and growled at his reflection then checked his other features from his head to his toes, and his tail; before being distracted by an old friend.

"Jimmy?" she repeated as she took a few steps forward, but stopped when she saw him take the same number of steps backwards, a look of shame painted on his face.

"Sarah, please don't look at me; for I have become so-"

"CUTE!"

"Huh; OOF!"

Before he could say another word, the playful redhead tackled him onto the straw bedding and started petting his head like a kitten. And like Ed, she petted him a bit too harshly.

"Sarah, you're hurting me!" he begged as she continued to smother him with affection.

"Well, that turned out well" Edd declared awkwardly, turning his attention towards his two mates; who were still watching the poor guy put up with her childish actions.

"Yeah, that Khajiit look way cooler than they were in the last game" Ed added.

Over in the next cell; Kevin, Nazz and Lee found an odd creature sleeping near a corner at the back of the cell. Its body was covered in light brown scales, small horns protruded from the bottom of its jaw along two on the top of its reptilian head. As well as that, it had blue red feathers growing from where hair usually grew and to top it all off he had a tail as long as half his height poking out of the hole in the back of its pants.

"Dude, is that…like…an Argonian?" Nazz asked.

"No doubt about it, goldilocks" Lee replied as she went over for a closer look.

Suddenly, they heard crazy noises from the Eds cell; which startled the sleeping creature and caused it to wake up. As Lee walked back to the other two, the Argonian began looking around before standing up and noticing its scally hand.

"What the hell?!" it cried out; it's male slithery voice sending shivers down Nazz's spine.

He then turned his head and noticed the three people looking at him, but gave a confused look when he saw Lee's golden skin and pointy ears.

"Wow, Lee; I never knew you were a Star Trek fan" he said, which freaked them out.

Kevin then noticed his blue eyes with slit pupils, swearing he saw him somewhere before.

"Has everyone been found yet?!" Eddy yelled.

"Found a few over here!" Jonny exclaimed; causing the reptilian's eyes to widen before he rushed for the prison bars.

"Jonny?!" he called out as he poked his head through the railings.

"Who's that?" May asked as she looked stuck her head out; only to yelp in shock at what she saw.

Rolf, Ardan, Lee, Nazz, Kevin and the Eds followed suit in looking out towards the other cells; followed by Jonny.

"Buddy; your alive!" the Argonian yelled in joy; which confused the tree lover.

"What are you on about?" he queried.

"Jonny, it's me; Plank!" he answered back; causing everyone to gasp.

"Awesome; you're a Saxhleel!" Jonny yelled.

"Ok, that's it!" Eddy shouted as he went back in and grabbed the bucket, before returning to the railings and tossing the water out the cell.

"Eddy, that's our drinking water!" Edd complained; furious that his friend threw away their source of rehydration, but Eddy simply ignored him.

"HEY, GUARDS; LETS US OUT" he screamed as he ran the bucket over the railings as hard as he could; creating an unbearable noise.

After two minutes, they saw a person with roman style leather armour appear before them; the symbol on his chest causing Edd to worry.

"Stop causing this racket or I'll put you in the cage outside the walls!" he barked out; resulting in the annoyed Wood Elf dropping his musical instrument and use his vocal talent instead.

"Let us go, bunkhead!" Eddy ordered.

It was then the soldier had drawn his sword and pointed it at the prisoner's head; followed by Edd placing his hand on Eddy's shoulder.

"He's an Imperial soldier, Eddy" he warned.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah"

"Of the Imperial Legion" the soldier added sternly.

"So?" he asked aggravatingly.

"Let me handle this" Edd said as he moved his friend aside and looked directly at the swordsman "Look, we're not criminals. We-"

"Same old excuse. Listen, prisoner; I'll keep this short and simple. You're under arrest for crossing the border into Skyrim without Imperial authorisation; as are most of you in these cells. You will be taken to the Imperial prison in Cyrodiil and serve your sentence there. Now get some sleep; we've got a long way to go if we want to reach the Imperial City" he finished as he sheathed his sword and went back upstairs.

Eddy was furious over the soldier's words, but he then heard a few yawning sounds from the other cells. He then looked back to find Sarah and Jimmy falling asleep; exhausted from their playful reunion earlier.

"Relax; we'll find a way out. And like he said; we'll be traveling tomorrow. That will be the perfect chance to escape" Edd stated as he neatly made a pillow out of the straw bedding and laid his head down.

Realising what he meant, Eddy walked back to the bedding and lied down grumbling "I knew that"

Within half an hour; everyone was sleeping like logs.


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: Please visit my profile for announcements and news on updates.

As the prisoners slept peacefully in their cells, they were disturbed by odd noises from above. Kevin was the first to be woken up. He felt fully energised; despite having to sleep on a straw covered floor. Looking to his right, he saw Nazz hugging his arm as she dozed. Looking around, he noticed that Lokier was lying in the same spot after his quarrel with Lee earlier; indicating that the pathetic pervert wasn't messing around with his girlfriend. He was about to wake her up when he heard loud voices echo into the cells; causing everyone else to wake up.

"What's going on?" Sarah asked; keeping her head snuggled in Jimmy's furry neck.

Edd got up and walked over to the bars, then said "Hmm; judging by the fact that the candles are about to run out of wax, I presume that it must be morning"

"About time, I thought I'd never get to sleep with monobrow snoring like a chainsaw" Eddy complained as he wiped the sleep from his eyes.

"We must conserve our energy if we are going to make our bid for freedom" Rolf stated wisely.

"Don't sweat it. All we have to do is let them take us to the Imperial Prison and let Edd use his reverse psycho-whatever to convince the guards to toss us all into that cell with the escape route, and bingo; we're free to go" Eddy explained as he smugly walked over lay his back against the railings.

Everyone was silent when they heard his words; which wasn't the result the Wood Elf was demanding in his head. Looking towards Edd, he noticed the unconvinced look on his face.

"I highly doubt that they would allow us any cell we want; even with the use of such deceptive tactics" Edd cautioned.

"Say's the one who first suggested it, brainiac" Lee chucked.

"Either way; it is highly likely they have found the escape route after Emperor Uriel VII's assassination since they had to recover the party; therefore implying that they know about its existence. Whether or not they're going to chain us to the walls to prevent us from using it, or that it has caved in through natural or man-made ways" he finished.

"Well then, smart-mouth; why don't you tell us one of your brilliant ideas?" Eddy asked in a grumpy tone.

"Why don't we just make a run for it?" May suggested.

"Yeah, all we have to do is wait until we're in a wooded path; then we make a dash for the thick underwood" Plank chimed; hoping to put his new legs to work.

Edd replied "As promising as it may be, I-"

"It could work" Kevin interrupted; making everyone feel hopeful that they could get out of their current situation.

"If things run smoothly; we just might pull this off" Ardan concluded.

"We have to, I heard that the Imperial Prison is so dark and lonely it makes you go mad" Jimmy commented worriedly.

"Oh please, that Dark Elf you saw in Oblivion will say anything to make himself look better than everyone else. I swear that guy is begging for a dagger to slit his throat" Eddy bragged; still holding a grudge over how he taunted him.

"Spoiler alert!" Ed piped, causing the others to giggle; except for Jimmy and Eddy, who were confused by their reaction.

Just then, they heard the sound of troops marching into the prison; along with a lot of shouting from what they perceived to be a bossy solider. Immediately everyone, apart from the unconscious pervert; gathered at the entrance to their cells and looked to their left at the staircase the soldier from earlier came down. The heavy sound of boots on the stone floor grew until a dozen Imperial soldiers arrived; lead by female wearing a metal version of the legion armour.

"Get these prisoners bound up and ready for the carriages!" she commanded as they marched to the cell closest to them; which oddly enough didn't have any of their friends inside.

While one soldier kept guard over the stairway, eight others went into the cell and already there was a lot of arguing between them and the prisoners.

The female Imperial quickly noticed the gang watching their actions, then ordered "Keep those prisoners back from their railings. I don't want them getting any ideas about escaping from us"

"Yes, Captain" the remaining three soldiers replied as they drew their swords and marched over; each one keeping a watchful eye on their selected cell.

"Stand back!" one of them barked; running his sword along the railing as the prisoners stepped away from their guards.

Soon they heard the sounds of footsteps as the mystery prisoners made their way up the stairs, but not without giving their captors a piece of their minds.

"Imperial dogs!"

"You disgrace your own gods!"

"Skyrim doesn't need your Emperor!"

"The Nords will drive you all out!"

As the voices of protest from began to fade out; they heard the cell door close. The Captain then began to inspect the other cells with a disdainful look while waiting for the bulk of her soldiers to return.

"How did this lot get across the border?" she asked; looking at the remaining soldiers on guard for answers.

One of them answered "We're not sure how they managed to get past the garrison at Fort Pale Pass, never mind avoiding the troops here in Fort Neugrad"

"Well then, you better keep a close eye on them. To evade the legion once means they were lucky; to evade us more than once means they're skilled, and you are not. So let's keep the record at one; is that clear?" she commented.

"Yes sir" they replied.

After receiving her warning, the troop escort returned and made their way into the next cell; which contained Jonny, May, Ardan, Marie and Rolf. While the guard stood in the doorway, Jonny and Ardan were each set upon by two soldiers. They grabbed their arms and held them while the remaining troops bound their hands together with rope.

As they moved onto Rolf and Marie, Ardan looked over to Jonny and whispered "Hey, do you think you can get us out of these?"

"No way, dude; these guys have definitely earned their 'Rope Tying' badge. I can't even reach for the knot" he replied in a hushed tone; hoping to avoid the Captain's ears.

After they finished binding May's hands, once they managed to overcome her childish attempt to avoid them; the soldiers went out of the cell and closed the door. They then made their way to the next cell; where Sarah, Jimmy and the Eds were waiting. The soldiers make quick work of the slow-witted Ed and the feebly weak Edd and proceed towards Sarah and Eddy; who were clearly not making it easy for them with their own attempts to avoid being technically handcuffed.

"Ouch, I said not to tied it too tightly; I bruise easily" Edd recalled; feeling the rough fibres bite into his wrists.

"If I had a Septim for every time a prisoner tries that trick" one of the soldiers boasted as he finished with Jimmy's hand restraints; before he and the others made their way over to the final cell; in which Kevin, Nazz, Lee, Plank were awaiting their fate.

"Why does it always have to be the pretty ones?" a soldier asked out loud as he reached for Nazz's hand; only for Kevin to swat it away.

"You so much as scratch her and you'll pay for it yourself" he growled; resulting in Kevin being the first to be bound along with Nazz; followed by Lee and Plank before they noticed the unconscious prisoner on the floor.

"This guy doesn't have any scratches" looking back, the soldier asked "What in the Eight did you do to this guy?"

"Just teaching him a lesson on how to properly treat a lady" Lee replied smugly; which made some of the soldiers shiver.

"He's still breathing; grab that bucket there" he said; which he received and then dumped over the prisoner's face; causing him to splutter awake before having his wrists bound in rope.

"Alright; that's all of them. We're ready to move, Captain" the soldier called out.

"Very well then; get them to the carts. We have to make it through the Pale Pass before nightfall, and we all know what happens to those who don't make it. Now move!" she ordered as she made her way to the stairway.

At the same time; the guards forced Kevin's group plus one pervert out until they were behind the Captain. While they were busy clearing the Eds out of their cell, Marie felt blessed that she was going to be out of her crush's view; as she feared what he would think if he ever saw her with her grey skin and red eyes. When they had emptied the final cell; they marched up behind the Captain with her soldiers guarding them from the sides and the back; preventing any chance they had of getting away. They reached the top of the spiral staircase and entered a large room with two doors to their left, a large fireplace to their right and single door ahead of them.

As they entered the doorway, they were blinded by the bright light of the sun. Once their vision returned; they found themselves walking into a courtyard and saw the small collection of walls and towers that made up what they guessed was Fort Neugrad. The place was looked ancient and parts of it were worn away or collapsed; but it was still formidable in its current state. But what caught their breath was the tall snow covered mountains that surrounded most of the area; as did the freezing cold air which caused them to shiver as they marched along the lightly snowed path.

"Jeepers" Sarah gasped as she gawked at the blue sky and the fluffy white clouds that floated above them.

"Dude" Nazz whispered as she watched the wind faintly blow the snow off the mountain tops.

"This looks just like that postcard Gerta the Goatmilker sent you, straw-head Ed-boy" Rolf commented.

"The mountains do indeed look similar, Rolf" Edd answered.

They passed what looked like a barracks on their left and turned right; passing between two decorated pillars as they walked down a small flight of stairs towards the stables. There they saw three carriages; each hitched to a single horse along with half a dozen spare horses for the troops. The first one on the left was holding seven people dressed in chainmail and leather scales with dark blue sashes over their shoulders; while the second contained another blue sashed person along with a man wearing black fur coat and pants. A third carriage remained empty.

"Guess these guys are the ones from the 'spare' cell" Kevin said quietly as they watched the soldiers marching around.

"How come these people get nice clothes?" Eddy questioned.

"That's armour they're wearing, Eddy; they must be a bandit group" Ardan answered.

"Why would the Legion bother taking bandits as prisoners; don't they usually kill them all?" Sarah asked.

"Those who prove to be as resilient as their mountain goats cheese will be stored for safe keepings rather than be devoured before the sunset" Rolf explained; causing most of the gang to be puzzled by his words.

"No talking, prisoners; now get up on the carriages" the Captain ordered, then turned to the soldiers behind them "Put one of them with the brigands, five with the renegade and the rest in the empty one"

"Yes sir" they replied as two of them grabbed Ardan and dragged him towards the second carriage.

"Hey, hold on; I can by walk myself you know" he said as they left him at the back of the carriage; before returning to fetch another.

"Use the step; it will make it easier" said a blonde-haired man wearing the sashed armour.

Taking his advice, Ardan climbed up and passed the black-clothed bloke before sitting across from the blonde prisoner.

"What's your name, kinsman?" he asked the young Irishman as Edd arrived and struggled to get onto the carriage.

Ardan, realising that the 'friendly' prisoner was a Nord; replied "Ardan, and your name is?"

"Ralof" he spoke; just as Edd finally managed to climb into the carriage and crawl to his seat "And who is he?"

Baffled at first by the prisoner's modest words, he recovered and answered "My name is Edd"

When he finally sat down next to Ardan, Lokier had also hopped onto his seat alongside Ralof; followed by a blue-haired figure being pushed up and forced to sit down next to the pervert, but that wasn't her reason for protest.

"Who's the grey skin there?" Ralof queried as they watched the person hang their head beyond their vision; as if it was hiding something.

It didn't take long for Edd to know who the female with the ashen skin tone and short sapphire hair was.

"M-M-Marie?" he mumbled; causing the figure to shiver as he spoke.

Slowly, she raised her head for all to see. Both Edd and Ardan gasped as they saw her blood red eye that wasn't covered; along with her pointed ears. At first, she herself was somewhat surprised that her crush was a Breton, but chose to wonder about it later.

She chucked faintly, and then spoke "Guess I'm a bit worse for wear, eh?" as she lowered her head to avoid them.

As they were recovering from their shock; Rolf climbed aboard and sat between Edd and the man in black; only then to fully notice the Dunmer sitting across from him.

"Don't say a word, Rolf" she said stoically; which he obeyed.

When Jimmy hopped next to Marie, he kept quiet; partly out of shock and partly because he was sitting across from the black figure; who he noticed was wearing a bandana over his mouth.

They then heard some commotion coming from the third empty carriage; which turned out to be Ed and Eddy trying to avoid being seated next to Lee and May. Unfortunately for them, the guards forced them to sit next to each other; before getting Plank, Sarah, Nazz and Kevin to take their seats. Jonny on the other hand was forced to join the seven sashed prisoners in the first carriage.

"Sir, all the prisoners are ready for transport" one soldier said to the Captain.

"Good, we'll be heading for the Pale Pass shortly; with the Eight's blessing, we may even reach Bruma before nightfall" she explained.

Just then, they saw an Imperial soldier galloping his horse into the stable yard, before jumping off and running into the barracks.

"General Tulius must be receiving his letter of thanks from the Emperor for catching this lot" one of the soldiers bragged; causing the gang to worry about their chances of escaping their captors.

"General?" Eddy asked himself.

"This can't be good" Kevin stated.

"Yeah; he didn't get thrown off the horse" May piped.

Ten minutes later; the troops began to get antsy and the fort was now quiet.

"What's taking him so long?" one trooper asked.

"Patience, soldier; the legion doesn't send scouts with non-urgent messages; especially to generals" the Captain replied.

A few seconds later; the door opened as a male Imperial with short grey hair wearing a set of bronze-coloured armour; the cuirass emblazoned with golden flourishes topped off with the Imperial insignia in the centre of the chest.

His appearance caused everyone to stand to attention as he walked past the stables with a stern look on their face; the scout walking behind him until he deviated to the Captain, handing her a note.

"Orders from the General" the scout whispered before jumping onto his horse and riding out through the arch to the left of the carriages.

She opened the note and read it; her mood slowly turned bad by the time she finished. Scrunching up the note and holding it close to a burning torch for it to catch alight.

She then turned towards the soldiers and shouted "All right, men; follow the General to the next town! We're ending it today!"

The troops immediately began scrambling around the fort; with four of them and the Captain jumping onto their horses and three of them climbing into the driver seats of their respected carriages. The cracking of whips could be heard as the carriages began to trundle into the arch and out towards the entrance; with the General on horseback leading the way. As they exited the fort the gang four of the horsemen, including the Captain; began riding on either side of the gaps between the carriages with one horseman at the back. To make matter's worse; they noticed that they were riding downhill along a tall mountain pass.

"There's no way we can jump off here" Sarah complained quietly as they realised there was no woods for them to escape into.

"Hey, how was I to know we were in the middle of a mountain range" Plank responded; acknowledging that Plan A had failed before they even started.

"I can't feel my feet, Eddy" Ed said; causing a certain Wood Elf next of him to take advantage of the situation.

"Don't worry, Pookie Bear; I'll keep you hotter than a microwave oven" May claimed, but it was his fear of her that was keeping him warm rather than feeling her wrap her legs around his.

"Ed, you dolt" Eddy whispered angrily as he felt Lee shimmy even closer to him.

"Hey, knock it off back there!" yelled their carriage driver as he steered the horse down the gently curving road.

Meanwhile in the second carriage; things were quiet as Ardan, Edd, Rolf and Jimmy looked for a chance to make a quick getaway; only for them to also conclude the impossibility of making more than ten paces before the soldiers would chop them down.

"So, glad to see you lot are finally awake" Ralof commented; causing them to turn their attention to him "You were caught trying to cross the border, right?"

"Um, yes; of course" Edd replied; hoping that his answer would lessen their sentence if they admitted to immigrating into another Imperial-controlled province illegally.

"You sure got far, until you got caught up in that Imperial ambush. Same as us" he explained as he turned his head left; indicating that he was referring to himself and his blue-sashed 'friends'.

"And that thief over there" he added as he looked to his left; the pervert sitting next to him clearly not liking this one bit.

"Damn you, Stormcloaks; Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy" he whined; which even made Marie look up at the man next to her "If they hadn't been looking for you, I could've stolen that horse and made it halfway to Hammerfell"

He turned his head to Edd, and added "You there; all of you" turning his head towards Marie, Rolf and Jimmy as well "We shouldn't be here, it's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants" he finished; treating their strange name as if it was a bitter medicine.

"We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief" Ralof answered back; not deterred by his words.

"Shut up back there!" the driver shouted as the scenery began to give way to the sight of pine trees.

"And what's with him, huh?" the pervert questioned as he hinted towards the man in black; who grunted back at him, as if he were trying to talk to him.

"Watch your tongue! You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King!" Ralof shot back, as if the horse thief had dishonoured him.

Everyone was puzzled at Ralof's words, which simply looked back at the rough looking man as he stared back at them with a fire in his eyes.

"High King?" Edd asked himself as his mind began brainstorming what he knew about Skyrim's Nordic culture.

"Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion. But if they've captured you... oh gods, where are they taking us?" he asked anxiously.

"I don't know where we're going, but Sovengarde awaits" Ralof replied calmly as he looked to his right; his words causing Rolf's face to pale.

"What's he on about?" Marie questioned.

"Ralof fears that we're going to meet the creators soon, as does Rolf"

"What?!" Jimmy cried.

"No, this can't be happening. This isn't happening" the pervert repeated to himself out loud.

"Hey, what village are you from, horse thief?" Ralof asked as he turned his head back.

"Why do you care?" he questioned in a depressed tone.

"A Nord's last thoughts should be of home" Ralof answered slowly; as if he was reading a moving poem.

Those words caused all of the gang; both in the second and third carriages to cringe, as they remembered what used to be their home. What remained was no doubt a pile of burnt houses and lifeless streets; reminiscent of a nuclear apocalypse.

"Rorikstead. I'm…I'm form Rorikstead" the pervert replied; his voice trembling in fear of what may lie ahead.

The gang looked ahead and noticed that they were approaching what appeared to be another fort; except it had a wooden rampart above the entrance and thatched buildings inside its walls. The gates were quickly opened by two soldiers from the inside; while two others stood guard at either side above the entrance with a third at the centre.

"General Tullius, sir. The headsman is waiting" the centre soldier called out as the military figure entered the gateway.

"Good, let's get this over with!" he called back as he took a right turn and was unseen past the walls.

"Headsman?" Jonny asked worriedly.

"We're heading for the chop!" Jimmy wailed; which didn't help alleviate the anxious mood in the air.

"I'd like mine well done with onions and gravy!" Ed yelled; which lead to Sarah whacking her unintelligent brother on the head with her bound hands.

"Calm down; we're technically illegal immigrants. We're not liable to the death penalty here" Edd stated; hoping that the Empire's laws weren't different in the other Human provinces.

"Best say your prayers, though. Never know what these backstabbing Imperials might do" Ralof warned.

Taking his advice to heart; the pervert prayed "Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akatosh. Divines, please help me"

"Kev, I'm scared" Nazz whispered.

"Don't worry, babe; I'll keep you safe" Kevin replied.

As they first carriage went through the gateway; Jonny noticed General Tullius was talking to a female Altmer with long golden hair; sitting on horseback wearing black and navy blue robes with gold trimmings. She was accompanied by two male Altmer dressed in what appeared to be Elven armour

"Who's that broad over there?" Jonny asked as the carriage took a left turn.

Although puzzled at first; the prisoners in the second carriage soon realised what he was talking about as they also entered the settlement.

"What are those High Elves doing all the way up here?" Marie queried.

"Look at him. General Tullius the Military Governor. And it looks like the Thalmor are with him. Damn elves. I bet they had something to do with this" Ralof concluded.

"Thalmor?" Ardan asked; confused like everyone else by what Ralof called them.

"Could the Altmer have gained increased power after the fall of the Septims?" Edd thought.

Jimmy was shaking in fear of losing his head, but he also noticed Ulfric was staring at the female High Elf with such distain that he looked like he was going to lunge at her.

As the third carriage entered and the doors closed behind them; they also caught a glimpse of the General and the Altmer chatting with each other; though the sound of hoofs and wheels on the cobblestone road prevented them from hearing what they were saying.

"What's going on, Eddy?" Ed asked.

"How should I know, monobrow" Eddy replied irritatingly.

"This place looks too nice to be a fort" Plank commented as they passed the wooden buildings that stood beside the walls.

"This is Helgen. I used to be sweet on a girl from here. I wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with juniper berries mixed in" Ralof spoke quietly as they passed the townsfolk.

"Rolf too yearns for the warm sweet taste of a fermented vegetable beverage"

"Funny, when I was a boy, Imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe" Ralof added as they passed by the fortifications adorned with black banners with the red Imperial insignia.

As they travelled, they heard a father ordering his son to go into their home; despite the boy wanting not wanting to. The escort stopped and got off their horses just as the carriages went around the central tower and parked up beside each other with the horses against a wall.

"Why are we stopping?" the pervert asked anxiously.

"Get these prisoners out of the carts. Move it!" the captain ordered as she marched over to them; resulting in the prisoners in the first carriage, Jonny included; in getting up on their feet and lining up to jump out of the back of the carriage to the ground.

"Why do you think? End of the line" Ralof replied without any fear in his voice; which caused both the pervert and the gang to pale at what seemed to be their fate.

"Let's go. Shouldn't keep the gods waiting for us" Ralof declared as he stood up, ready to accept his fate; not all of them was willing though.

"No! Wait! We're not rebels!" the pervert yelled as he tried to stay on the carriage, but was pushed forward by Ardan and Ralof.

"Face your death with some courage, thief" Ralof advised.

"Yeah, pervert!" Nazz yelled.

"Grow a backbone you wimp!" Lee added.

Ignoring the heckling he received, the pervert turned to Ulfric and begged "You've got to tell them! We weren't with you! This is a mistake!"

"Step forward to the block when we call your name. One at a time" the Captain ordered as three soldiers with books and quills at the ready.

"Ugh, Empire loves their damn lists" Ralof complained as he hopped to the ground.

All of the gang quickly grouped together in the hope of avoiding the rebel's faith as one by one the sashed prisoner's names were called out and responded by walking over to the centre of the courtyard where a block of stone and a basket laid waiting for them.

"Ulfric Stormcloak. Jarl of Windhelm" a male Nord soldier with brown hair reaching his neck called out.

As the man in black marched to join the rest of the rebels, Ralof proudly declared "It has been an honour, Jarl Ulfric"

"I'm not in my happy place, Double D" Ed whispered.

"Don't worry; we should be alright if we behave well and admit to being non-violent travellers who came to Skyrim for...a new life" Edd explained; which caused the rest of the gang to look at him in a 'you'd better be right kind of way'.

"Ralof of Riverwood" the Nord soldier called out; to which the man in question followed the same path as his leader.

"Lokir of Rorikstead" he listed; which immediately caused the horse thief to panic and step in front of the gang; who were the only ones who weren't called up.

"No, I'm not a rebel. You can't do this!" he yelled, before sprinting past the Captain and Nord soldier back the way they entered.

"Halt!" she barked as he made his way towards the turn.

"He's mad" Jonny gasped.

"You're not going to kill me!" Lokir taunted as he turned left around the central tower.

"Now's our chance" May whispered; but Marie stepped in front of her.

"ARCHERS!" the Captain screamed; causing every legionnaire with a bow to draw their weapons.

Just three and a half seconds after her order; one soldier near the wall tower to their right managed to grab an arrow, draw it back and fire at Lokir.

The arrow flew through the air and hit him directly at his heart; causing him to splutter and cough up blood before dropping to the ground, his moans being almost inaudible as he as his lungs were no doubt filling with blood. Knowing that he would bleed to death within minutes, the soldiers sheathed their bows onto their backs and returned to normal.

The Captain then turned back towards the gang; whose jaws were practically dropping at how precise and deadly the Imperial Legion was when it came to 'dealing' with runaway prisoners. Jimmy, Nazz and Edd looked like they were going to barf as they heard the poor soul continue to cough and moan in pain; while the rebels simply looked away as if nothing had happened.

"Anyone else feel like running?!" the Captain barked at them; causing Jimmy to fearfully shake his head in response.

"Wait. You there" the Nord soldier spoke while pointing towards the gang with his quill "Step forward"

Reinforced with the thought of how brutal the Legion would react to those who disobeyed them; they walked up to him and the Captain.

"Who are you?" he asked as he pointed at the green-skinned person with the joint eyebrow.

"Ed of Orsinium" he replied in a proud boastful manner.

"You from one of the strongholds, Orc? How did you end up here?" the Nord soldier questioned as he wrote, but Ed gave him a confused look, as did the rest of the gang.

"Ok; and you two are?" the Nord soldier asked; taking note of the male wearing his shirt on his head.

"My name is Edd. That's with two d's" he answered.

"And my name is Nazz" she added.

"You from Daggerfall, Breton? Fleeing from some court intrigue?" he asked; causing both of them to blush and Kevin to be a bit ticked at his choice of words.

After entering the two into his book; he turned towards the three-haired male and the blond female with the pointy ears, then asked "Name?"

"Eddy" he barked.

"May" she piped

"Nothing unusual here. Not many Wood Elves would choose to come alone to Skyrim" the Nord soldier said as he moved on; leaving a fuming Eddy and dumbstruck May behind.

"Name?" he repeated to the two pale men.

"Ardan" he replied.

"Kevin" he spoke

"You picked a bad time to come home to Skyrim, kinsman" he cautioned; making everyone else nervous.

"Name?" he repeated to the man and woman with the swarthy skin.

"Sarah" she said.

"Rolf" he declared.

"You two are a long way from the Imperial City. What are you doing in Skyrim?" he asked.

"Um…for a new home" Sarah replied, trying to pull off that innocent look that got her whatever she wanted in her youth.

"Typical" the Captain said.

"Next" the Nord soldier spoke as he stepped in front of the furry specimen "Name?"

"Jimmy" he muttered; fearing he'd face the same faith as Lokir.

Looking up from his book, the Nord soldier gave him a puzzled look, and then said "You with one of the trade caravans, Khajiit? Your kind always seems to find trouble"

Jimmy let go of his breath as the Nord soldier walked over to the blue headed female.

"And you're?" he questioned.

"Marie" she replied as she kept bowing her head in a vain attempt to hide herself.

"Another refugee? Gods really have abandoned your people, Dark Elf" the Nord Soldier said sympathetically as he moved on.

Looking up at him as he left; Marie thought "_Yeah, in a way_"

"Name" he repeated yet again; this time to the dark-skinned man with the abnormally sized head.

"Jonny" he answered.

"What're you doing here, Redguard? You a sellsword? A sailor from Stros M'kai?" the Nord soldier asked inquisitively.

"Nope; you're confusing me with someone else" Jonny replied calmly as if the Nord soldier was asking him what time it was.

"Alright then" he said as he moved onto the Saxhleel "Name?"

"Plank, it's my Cyrodilic name" he said.

"Are you a relative of one of the Riften dock workers, Argonian?" the Nord soldier questioned.

"If it's full of trees; I might just have a very long distance relation there" Plank answered; his voice hinting that his love of the woods was still evident.

After taking his words down in his book, he stepped over to the final person in the gang; without looking up he asked "Name?"

"Lee" she replied; causing the Nord soldier's head to shoot up; taking in his view of the woman's huge curly red hair that covered her eyes, but it was her skin that caught his attention.

"You're not from the Thalmor Embassy, are you High Elf?" he asked; only for her to shake her head in response "No, that can't be right" he added as he looked over his book again.

"What's the hold up, Hadvar?" the Captain asked impatiently.

"Captain, what should we do? They're not on the list" he replied.

"Oh, thank heavens" Edd whispered to himself.

"Forget the list. They go the block" she ordered.

"WHAT?!" they all shouted in disbelief.

"But Captain; there's no way we could do it without the Emperor having our heads as well. I mean; most of them aren't even Nords" Hadvar stated defensively; pointing at Marie and Plank.

"So, we just list them as Stormcloak mercenaries. Besides, the Pale Pass is blocked by an avalanche, and we're not going to waste much needed shipments just to send this lot to Cyrodiil" she argued.

"But-"

"No 'buts'. I've waited far too long to earn a promotion, and unless you'd like to join them as a Stormcloak spy; then do as I say and record them for the death sentence" she growled back; causing both him and the gang to shiver in fear.

"By your orders, Captain" he replied before turning back to the shocked group "I-I'm sorry. We'll make sure your remains are returned to your respective provinces"

"Oh, that's good to know!" Eddy snapped sarcastically.

"You can't do this; it violates Imperial Law!" Edd reasoned; resulting in the Captain walking over and towering over him.

"I am the law. And the law is sacred" she said mockingly, jabbing her finger roughly against his chest for every word she spoke before marching to the General.

"Follow the Captain, prisoners" Hadvar commanded softly; his voice obviously sympathetic over the injustice the Empire was about to unleash upon them.

Seeing no other choice; they turned left and walked to where the rebels stood; about ten paces from where the execution block, and the headsman awaited; dressed with in fur boots and pants along with a black vest with the executioner's masked sewn onto it; complete with the large sharp axe traditionally used the chosen method capital punishment.

As they stood with Ralof to their right-hand side, the General walked up to Ulfric; who was in standing to their left before his own 'soldiers', while Hadvar passed the gang and walked up to his spot on the right side of the block.

Once he approached him; the General announced "Ulfric Stormcloak. Some here in Helgen call you a hero, but a hero doesn't use a power like the Voice to murder his king and usurp his throne"

"Murder?" Kevin asked himself.

"What has forsaken Rolf and his friends to be counted as traitors?" he added as he and the rest of the gang began to realise the serious the charges were for the rebels, and in particular to their 'true High King'.

Ulfric responded with muffled grunts; his response being prevented by what turned out to be a gag covering his mouth.

"_So that's why he never spoke on the way here_" Edd thought.

"You started this war, plunged Skyrim into chaos, and now the Empire is going to put you down, and restore the peace" the General said; his voice giving a hint of anger and determination to put his life to an end.

Before they even processed the fact that he said the words 'war' and 'chaos'; they heard a loud faint shrilling noise echo above them; it's tone getting progressively louder as it bounced through mountains before finishing seven seconds later as a deep guttural sound.

Everyone looked around; wondering where the sound came from. Some of the prisoners and even a few of the Imperial guards were somewhat nervous as to why it occurred in the first place; as were the gang themselves.

"What was that?" Hadvar asked as he looked at the sky.

"It's nothing. Carry on" the General reassured as he turned around and started walking past the Captain.

As the General left, Ulfric looked at the rebels and gang, but his eyes were different. He now looked considerably worried about what they just heard, as if it wasn't something to ignore like General Tullius and the Imperials have just done.

"I don't like this, Sarah" Jimmy whispered.

"It's probably just the wind" she explained calmly; hoping her answer was right.

"Yes, General Tullius" the Captain answered as the General went over and stood next to a Legionnaire; far enough to avoid his armour getting ruined in the messy business to come.

Turning to her left; the Captain focused her attention on an Imperial woman wearing a brown robe with a yellow hood and said "Give them their last rites"

Raising her hands up high; the woman spoke "As we commend your souls to Aetherius, blessings of the Eight Divines upon you,"

"_Eight?_" the gang thought; wondering whether she was a real priestess or a phony, as they all remember that there were usually Nine Divines.

"for you are our salt and earth of Nirn, our beloved…"

Just then, a male rebel standing next to Ralof marched forward and shouted "For the love of Talos, shut up and let's get this over with!"

Somewhat peeved by his interruption of her prayer, she said "As you wish" then walked away to the left until she was out of the gang's view

As she left, the rebel stood in front of the block and waited, and then yelled "Come on, I haven't got all morning!"

His determined goal of getting his head decapitated as quickly as possible stunned the gang. Here they were about to have their heads lopped off and yet he was willing to go through with it.

"_He can't be serious_" Eddy thought.

"_And I thought Lokir was mad_" Plank thought.

"_Must be a good carnival ride_" Ed thought.

The Captain walked up behind the rebel and grabbed his shoulder; before pushing him onto his knees and using her left leg on his back forced him to lay his upper torso on the block with his head over the carved part for 'less tricky' decapitation.

Looking to his left and up at the executioner, the rebel proudly said "My ancestors are smiling at me, Imperials. Can you say the same?"

As he spoke his last words, the executioner grabbed his axe with both hands, lifted it around his back and gave a quick and powerful swing right on the rebel's neck. The sound of flesh being torn and bone being crushed was bad enough, but the blood pumping from the body as the head fell into the basket proved too much for Jimmy; who turned around and vomited behind the gang at what he had just witnessed. While Sarah and Nazz joined Jimmy to help him, as well as avoid looking at the lifeless corpse; the rest watched on as everyone started heckling each other.

"You Imperial bastards!" a female rebel cried as a tear formed in her eyes; even Ulfric was disheartened as he watched on.

"Justice!" yelled a male voice behind them.

Jimmy, Sarah, Nazz and eventually everyone else noticed a Nord couple watching the execution from their house; which happened to be behind the gang.

"Death to the Stormcloaks!" shouted the female Nord.

"As fearless in death as he was in life" Ralof said solemnly; as if he was a priest at the burial of an old friend.

Marie looked at the body as the Captain pushed it aside easily with her left foot, thinking "_Probably not as bad as it looks; considering he isn't moving anymore_"

As the rest of the gang turned around and the two girls carried Jimmy back to the group; Ardan thought that finally admitted that death was certain. His parent's told him that whenever his relatives died back in his homeland and always told him to pray for a quick and painless one; just in case. Or that was how he told himself from all those prayers he read as a child. Yet he wasn't someone to stand down when he still had an option that could work. And so he decided to use it.

"I not sure if you're aware of it, General Tullius!" he announced loudly; catching everyone's attention "But now I see why your Captain never became a Priestess of Dibella!"

Almost immediately some of the soldiers began to whisper amongst themselves; while the rebels watched him curiously as she continued to speak.

"What happened, dear? They thought your ideas for controlling men to be too extreme, so you joined the Legion and here you are; doing what you always wanted; executing people for each one who refused your offer to share your bed" he finished; causing the soldiers to gasp in shock and the rebels to snigger; even Eddy and Kevin had difficulty not laughing at what he said to the stuck-up officer.

"_Is everyone going insane around here?_" Plank asked himself in his mind.

The Captain's face turned red in anger as she heard his words, and her response was swift.

"Next, the Nord in the rags!" she announced loudly.

Just as she finished her sentence, they heard the same shrilling noise echo around them; only this time it was louder than the last one. Once again Ulfric and even his rebels were cautious about the strange sound.

"_I swear I heard that somewhere before_" May thought.

"There it is again. Did you hear that?" Hadvar questioned; he himself now worried.

The Captain looked at him and gritted her teeth as she barked "I said, next prisoner!"

Not wanting to face her wrath, he turned back to Ardan and said "To the block, prisoner. Nice and easy"

Knowing that his fate was sealed by the General's deliberate non-intervention of his 'speech', he walked slowly, but not silently.

"Let me ask you this, General Tullius;" he spoke; gaining the man's attention "Do you even know what your soldiers and officers say and do behind your back? If you know the truth like me and my friends back there in the rough clothes; you'd trust these 'rebels' more than your own troops" he added without taking his eyes away from him, until he reached the block and looked at the Imperial Captain; then asked "Right, Captain War Crimes?"

"Shut up, you lying Stormcloak spy!" she snapped back as she forced him onto the block.

His friends watched as he lay there, awaiting his fate; one that they would all face on this day. As he looked up and the executioner to know when it would hit; he thought about home, good times and better days.

Suddenly; they heard the same shrilling noise broke the silence, as did everyone's attention; except for the headman who was raising his axe. Looking beyond the tower in front of him; he saw a dark figure fly across the sky from behind the mountain and head straight towards them; causing the rebels and local Nords to back up.

"What in Oblivion is that?!" General Tullius asked.

"Sentries, what do you see?!" the Captain ordered as she moved away from Ardan towards the prisoners.

"It's in the clouds!" one of the Imperial soldiers cried out.

As the figure flew swiftly towards them; the gang couldn't believe what they saw. Even Ardan didn't move as the figure swooped down and landed onto the central tower; causing the executioner to lose his balance and drop his axe on the ground far away from his victim. The creature's large claw-tipped wings latched onto the building as it looked down at the people; particularly at Ardan. Its body was covered with sharp black scales and its long neck supported its fierce reptilian face as it started at them with glowing red eyes. There was only one word to describe what stood before them, and even one of the female rebels joined in with them.

"DRAGON!"

After staring at each other for a few seconds, the creature took a deep breath; causing the gang to cover their faces in fear of being burned alive. But instead, it gave a booming roar; causing the sky to turn into a cloudy, reddish-grey colour.

The Imperial soldiers tried to kill it with arrows; but they just bounced off of him; which him angrier. Fearing the worst, the gang ducked to the ground as they heard huge explosion nearby. Ardan watched the dragon give another booming roar, this time causing some soldiers and the executioner to be blown away like ragdolls; while he managed to suffer a small tumble from the block and landed face down on the ground before everything went black.


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: Please visit my profile for announcements and news on updates.

Faint noises raced through his mind as Ardan's sight slowly returned. Although his vision was blurry, he noticed people running all over the place; either running in panic or firing their arrows into the sky. Eventually his hearing started returning as well; the sound of explosions nearby; of people screaming in pain; of fires burning around them.

"Hey, kinsman; wake up!"

The voice brought him out of his thoughts, as he suddenly remembered being attacked by a dragon. Slowly but surely, he managed to get back onto his feet and fully regained his vision. He first noticed Ralof walking over to each of his friends; who were lying face down on the ground, and shaking them out of their unconsciousness.

"Come on, get up!" Ralof yelled as he shook Jonny.

A bellowing roar from above alerted him to the danger they were in and immediately he went over to Edd and tried to wake him.

"Double D; wake up!" Ardan shouted as he lifted the lightweight intellectual off the ground and onto his knees.

"W-W-What?" Edd mumbled; only for his eyes to shoot open widely as he noticed the burning buildings and dead bodies "Heavens above!"

Edd couldn't believe the devastation that lay around them. Thatched roofs were burning and bodies littered the ground. Most of them were Imperial soldiers, some of who were Nords; along with the executioner and the priestess being among the dead. Meanwhile, Ardan was trying to wake up Eddy; who proved to truly be the heavy sleeper everyone says he was.

"Come on, Eddy; snap out of it!" he yelled; but no response.

Just then, Lee sat up and looked over at him as he shook her crush violently. She ran over and pushed Ardan out of the way, before grabbing hold of Eddy and saying "Come on, lead-head; it's time to go to the bank!"

"Bank?" Eddy responded; before looking at who was in front of him, and behind her "AHH!" he screamed as he dived to the side; unintentionally pulling Lee along with him.

She then felt a sudden gust blow above them. Looking up, she saw the dragon flying low above them; its talons barely missing her back before gaining altitude to avoid collision with the wall. The dragon's flyby managed to startle the rest of the gang awake; while Ardan, Edd, Eddy and Lee looked around and realised that they were trapped.

The main road out of town was blocked by a large pile of rubble, as well as an uprooted tree and several fires; to their left, the walkway that connected the central tower with the outer wall had collapsed over the passage. And the small gate in the outer wall was blocked by the carriages; which were overturned by the dragon's roar that knocked them out.

"Where am I?" Sarah groaned.

"Wow, that was cool" Jonny chucked.

"Do it again!" Planked chimed.

"No way" Nazz complained.

"Hey!" Ralof shouted; gaining everyone's attention "Come on, the gods won't give us another chance!" before turning around and running towards the wall tower; with its door wide open.

Edd was anxious about following the rebel and voiced his concern "I'm not sure about this. I mean, he's a rebel; this could be a trap"

A thunderous roar caused the gang looked up to find the dragon approaching them for another flyby.

"To hell with that, Edd; leg it!" Ardan yelled as he ran towards the tower.

"Rolf too seeks shelter!"

"Let's get out of here!" Kevin exclaimed as he helped Nazz get a proper footing.

"Hey, wait up!" Eddy cried as he followed suit.

Edd watched as everyone made a dash for the door "Do I even exist anymore?!"

"Run away!" Ed yelled as he grabbed Edd and carried him to the tower "Evil, loud, scorching, nasty!"

Ralof was far ahead of them by the time he got to the door. Once through, he stopped and turned around; only to see Ardan run straight into him and fall onto the floor. Soon the gang began tripping over each other as they entered the tower one by one; until they were all scattered on the floor as they saw shadows move around them.

Jimmy slowly looked up and saw one of the rebels lying ahead of him; his chest bleeding badly as he groaned in pain. The sight of blood up close terrified the Khajiit; causing him to yelp and jump back onto his feet. Just as he did, a female rebel proceeded to towards the man and began to treat his wounds to the best of her abilities.

As everyone else recovered from their little trip; they heard the door slam behind them as two rebels rushed to place a wooden beam in an angle to keep it shut; using a lump of rock as a hammer to fix it in place with the door and the floor.

As Ralof got back up, he found Ulfric pulling another wooden beam from the small pile of rubble and handing it over to the two soldiers; who continued to reinforce the door.

"Jarl Ulfric!" he called out; gaining the man's attention "What is that thing? Could the legends be true?"

Ulfric looked straight at him and replied "Legends don't burn down villages"

As he spoke, they heard the dragon's shrilling cry yet again; causing the gang to duck their heads. Looking around; Edd noticed that they now shared a large room with Ulfric, Ralof and the two rebels who had just finished barricading the door. They also had two more rebels bleeding on the floor; one with his leg cut badly, and the one Jimmy saw earlier with the bleeding stomach; both of who were being treated by a blonde female rebel who knew a thing about medicine as she tried to stop the bleeding using a small rug as bandaging; at least according to Edd and Nazz's experience. As well as that, all of them had their rope bindings missing; indicating that they somehow managed to either untie or cut themselves from their restraints.

"The sky demon seeks to devour us all!" Rolf yelled.

"What do we do now?" Jimmy asked.

"We need to move. Now!" Ulfric barked out.

"But where?" May questioned.

"Hey, look!" Marie called out; pointing at a spiral staircase to the right of the doorway that clung to the circular wall.

"One of my men has already gone up there; he hasn't returned yet" Ulfric warned.

"Dragon food, he has become!" Ed added.

"It's our only way out" Nazz stated.

"Up through the tower. Let's go!" Ralof concluded as he led the way with Kevin, Ed, Ardan and Jonny following him while the others kept their distance.

As they climbed the stairs, they reached the second floor; which was covered in rubble. To make matters worse; most of the largest and heaviest rocks were blocking them from advancing towards the top floor. They also found who they believe was the aforementioned rebel trying to remove the debris in his way; with slow and pitiful results. As he continued digging; he soon noticed the audience that had stopped at the last few steps.

"Give me a hand here, Ralof. We just need to move some of these rocks to clear the way!" he requested as he continued to heave the massive stones to the side.

Just as Ralof and the braver members of the gang were about to set foot on the second floor; they heard a swooping noise from outside. All of a sudden, the wall to their right exploded; throwing large chunks of stone and masonry into the tower and tossing the rebel ahead of them like a ragdoll. Ralof and the gang barely managed to avoid the flying rocks; the tremble from the impact causing them to stumble down the stairs just enough to avoid serious damage; with only a downfall of dust from the rubble and the tower itself being the only hazard that hit them.

Looking up, everyone caught a close glimpse of the dragon; its rugged face with its short snout and large horns poking through the hole that now existed on the second floor. The dragon then withdrew its head slightly and took a deep breath and uttered an odd sound.

"No, oh Shor's bones no!" cried the rebel from above; who sounded like he was badly wounded by the flying debris, but not for long.

The dragon then made a loud screeching roar as fire erupted out of its mouth; creating a firestorm on the entire floor and for the poor rebel to scream in agony. Everyone ran down to the ground floor to avoid the swirling flames that tried to follow them. Three seconds later; the flames stopped, then the building shook as a gust of air entered the tower.

"Dude, that was like, close" Kevin commented as he shielded Nazz.

"I think he's gone guys" Ed suggested.

"Well then go and check, burrhead" Eddy bragged as he pushed him forward.

Knowing Ed's tendency to lose focus on the real issue; Ardan, Rolf and Jonny followed him up to the second floor. When they got there, they could feel the heat from the blast on the floor; although the cold climate kept it at a bearable temperature.

"Is it safe up there?" Sarah asked quietly; which would've shocked the gang if they weren't too focused on whether or not the winged creature was gone.

"It's clear; just stay quiet" Ardan replied while keeping a lookout for the dragon.

"Is he still around?" May questioned.

"He's flying over the other side of the village" Rolf answered as he saw the dragon breath fire onto the last thatched roof that wasn't alight.

As everyone made their way up; they saw the new dark and burnt decoration the dragon's fire caused to the interior of the tower. They also noticed Ed was looking at the rubble rather than the drama outside. Lee and Edd took a closer look and found the poor soul; who was clearing rubble not a few minutes ago was now a charred corpse. The body was a mix of black, grey, red, orange and white as the clothes and armour continued to burn and burn the flesh. The sight and smell made everyone queasy, and Jimmy throw up yet again through the hole in the wall.

"Are you alright?" Ralof asked as he came up.

"Yeah, just peachy" Eddy remarked.

Edd looked up and saw that it wasn't just the wall on the second floor that sustained serious damage.

"Drats, the dragon's collision with the tower has caused the top floor to collapse onto the stairs" he stated.

Following the direction of Edd's head; they saw that he was right, as the stairway was now completely impassable with all the debris in the way.

"How do we get out of here now?" Lee asked as her patience wore thin.

Ralof went to check the hole and found that they were too high up to simply climb or drop down without being killed. However, he found a solution to the problem.

"Hey, over here" he called out.

As they gathered around him, he raised his hand and pointed at a nearby building.

"See the inn on the other side?" he asked.

The building in question was wooden with a thatched roof; possibly the only one in town that wasn't ablaze. It did not escape the carnage however; as part of the roof was torn open by the uprooted tree as it fell into it.

"Yeah?" Jimmy replied; trying to see through the smoke billowing from below the tower; hindering their vision.

"Jump through the roof and keep going!" he shouted.

"Are you crazy?!" Jimmy cried as everyone looked at him.

"You're off your rocker" Ardan added.

"Go! We'll follow when we can!" he finished as he rushed downstairs.

"Now what?" Eddy asked.

"Do you think its high enough?" Nazz added as she looked at the building in question.

Although the building did appear to have two floors; not everyone was eager to take the jump.

"That's a big gap" Sarah said.

"And it's on fire" Rolf added.

"I'm scared" Ed stuttered as his legs shook; his vertigo once again causing problems.

Plank watched as everyone gave their doubtful looks about going through with it; then turned to Jonny.

"Come on, buddy" he boasted as he walked up to the rubble and turned towards the hole "Let's show them ground lovers how it's done"

"Sure thing, Plank" Jonny replied eagerly as he joined him and readied himself "On three"

"Wait!" Edd warned.

"One!"

"You could break your legs!" Nazz added.

"Two!"

"Or your neck!" Jimmy wailed.

"Three!"

The gang stood back as Jonny and Plank sprinted towards the hole; taking their leap of faith on the very last step on the ledge. The gang watched on with awe as the duo managed to make it over the wooden wall; rolling along the floor as they landed before stopping as the stood up.

"Wow!" Ed gasped; momentarily forgetting his fear.

"Are you alright?!" Marie called out.

"Bit of a rough landing, but we're ok here!" Plank yelled back.

"Alright; let's go!" Eddy yelled as he grabbed Ed's shirt and ran; only to be jolted to a sudden halt by the Orc's reluctance, and vertigo.

"No way, Eddy" he whimpered; his legs resuming their shaky nature.

As Edd and Eddy tried to get him moving, Kevin and Nazz held each other's hand as they walked over to the rubble and ran for the hole; jumping just high enough to clear the wall, and land uncomfortably on the floor.

"Ouch, you call that a 'rough landing'?" Kevin complained as his girlfriend helped him up.

"I'm surprised I didn't twist my ankle" Nazz added.

Just then, the Kankers noticed a familiar streak of light heading straight for the village.

Lee pointed at it and questioned "Wait, you don't think they're…"

"METEORS!" May screamed; causing everyone; including those at the Inn to look skyward.

They saw the fiery boulders randomly hit the town one by one; turning into shards as they landed and flew everywhere.

"Not again!" Jimmy cried; only to be dragged by Sarah as she led him by hand to the starting position.

"Let's go you scaredy-cat!" she yelled as she pulled him along with her and jumped over the fiery scene below and into the inn.

They flew into the room and landed on a nearby bed; which was a mixed blessing, as it was springy enough to soften their landing; but it wasn't as soft as they expected. As Sarah shrugged off both the pain and the bed, Jimmy was moaning in agony as held his right hand out.

"Owie, Sarah; I got a splinter in my finger!" he whimpered; tightening his fist while holding out his index finger

She was silent as she inspected his injury and replied "Um, Jimmy" forcing him to open his eyes "That's your claw"

Looking at his hand, Jimmy realised that the dark brown, sharp and pointy thing protruding out of his finger truly was a claw.

"Ahh, get rid of it Sarah!" he yelped.

"I don't know. Just, push it back into your finger like a cat; or a lion" she replied.

After flexing his hand for a few seconds, Jimmy somehow managed to retract his sharp nail back into his finger; stunning both him and the inn's new occupants.

"Look out from above!" Rolf yelled.

Looking up they expected to see a dragon, but instead they saw Rolf landing not far from the bed; followed by Ardan.

"What took ya?" Jonny asked.

"Rolf wanted to go first" Ardan replied; glaring at the teenager out of frustration.

"What? It's tradition" Rolf explained.

"Cluster bomb incoming!"

They cleared away when they looked up and found the warning had come from Ed; who was carrying Edd and Eddy as he glided through the air.

"No, Ed!" the intellectual one screamed as they landed on the bed; Jimmy barely managing to avoid them thanks to Sarah dragged him off.

They landed on the bed with huge impact; causing its legs to collapse under the pressure. As they dusted themselves; they noticed that they had little injuries despite the destruction they caused.

"What happened?" Kevin asked.

"Eddy told him that the Anteaters had broken into the tower" Edd muttered as he pointed a Ed; who was helping him onto his feet.

"We're clear for landing, girls!"

Before they could react, the Eds were tumbling on the floor as the Kankers crashed into their specific crushes; with May's arms looping around his neck, Marie landing but first on Edd's back, and Lee ending up face to face with Edd again as he laid on his back.

"My hero!" May cheered as she reached up to kiss him, but he lifted her off of him and dropped her on the floor.

"My nightmare!" he cried as he ran behind Rolf and Kevin.

As Marie helped pain-stricken Edd back up, she felt bad for hurting him. While stretching his back, he looked at her and to her surprise, and shock; he began to blush badly. It got even worse when he saw her hands on his arm; which she didn't let go because of the look of embarrassment she saw on his feet.

"Um, excuse me" he said politely as he carefully slipped his arm out of her grasp.

"_Same old Edd_" she thought; believing he was using his chivalrous nature to hide what he really felt about her 'new' appearance.

"Seems we always keep ending up together, eh; Eddy?" she asked smugly.

"Get real, Juliet!" he growled back angrily as he shoved her off of him.

"We'll, it appears everyone's accounted for" Edd stated as he looked around the building; until his nose caught something.

"Holy crap!" Sarah cursed as she pointed above them.

To their horror; the roof was now smouldering as embers slowly started to chare the thatched roof. Just then; they heard a creak as part of it fell at the other side of the room; onto what appeared to be the ground floor.

"Look, there's a way out!" Jimmy chirped as he pointed at a gap in the left-hand corner of the room.

"Alright; let's move it, people!" Kevin yelled as he jumped down to the ground floor; before helping Nazz do the same.

When they all managed to hop down; they heard the wind swirl and the ground shake, followed by the thunderous roar; forcing everyone to hug next to the wall for safety.

"Does he ever shut up?!" Eddy complained.

"What makes you think that, more hair than brain cells Ed-boy?" Rolf asked.

"Eh?" he replied; ignoring his insult.

"Rolf has seen many females get into a vocal state of rage at the Old Country, and let's not forget the dim Ed-boy's sister, or the Mistress of Darkness"

His words were shot down when Sarah and the Kankers whacked him on the head at the same time; causing the son of a Shepard to yelp in pain.

"Hamming, you need to get over here. Now!" they heard outside.

"Who's that?" Plank asked.

"Wait, I remember that voice" Ardan replied as he walked as quietly as possible to the new 'door'.

Looking out of it; he saw a boy with brown hair wearing a crimson shirt and black pants in the middle of the road; trying to drag help a man over to him, but he appeared to be pushing the boy ahead of him. He also saw a familiar soldier wielding a sword shouting furiously at him; as well as an old balding Nord wearing iron armour on his chest, wrists and feet hiding behind the smouldering remains of a house.

"It's Hadvar" he whispered back.

"He's alive?" Nazz asked astonishingly.

"Lucky guy" Ed chimed in.

Everyone gathered around the 'door' and watched as the boy reluctantly obeyed Hadvar and ran towards him. Just as he reached him, the dragon landed behind the wounded man.

"Torolf!" he cried as he took as step forward, but immediately ran with the boy when he saw the dragon take a deep breath "Gods...Everyone get back!"

"DUCK!" Jimmy screamed as they took cover behind the wooden wall.

They heard the screeching noise as it blew its fiery breath where the soldier and the boy were. When the ground shook, indicating that the dragon had just flown away; they took a peak and found both of them hiding behind the same building as the armoured elder was; lying face down on the ground to avoid being the flames.

"Wow that was close!" May shouted; gaining Hadvar's attention as he got back to on his feet.

"May, you idiot" Lee whispered angrily as she slapped her on the back of the head.

They feared that he would kill them since he put their names on 'death row', but instead he signalled them to come over to him.

"You still alive, prisoners?" he asked loudly.

"Uh, yeah!" Eddy replied.

"Stay close to me if you want to stay that way" he finished.

"Wait, you're brining us with you?" Jonny asked, but Hadvar ignored him and turned to the elder beside him; who was being hugged desperately by the now terrified Hamming.

"Gunner, take care of the boy. I have to find General Tullius and join the defence" Hadvar commanded as he made his way towards the gang.

"Gods guide you, Hadvar" the old man replied as he kept the boy under his arm.

Looking closely, they noticed that the boy was crying into the elder's arm; repeating one word over and over again.

"Dad. Dad. Dad"

They were confused; wondering how this old geyser could father such a young son; until Hadvar answered their question.

"Torolf is...was his father" he said as he looked at the charred corpse that now lay on the road; even the blood had dried away from the inferno.

"Come on, let's go" he ordered as he headed for the right side of the tower

"Do we trust him?" Sarah asked.

"What if he throws us back in prison?" Eddy added.

When they heard the shrilling roar from above soon gave them their answer.

"Now's not the time for that, run for it!" Kevin yelled as he ran after Hadvar; his hand clenched on Nazz's as he lead her.

As they caught up with him, they saw that the main road was once again blocked; this time by large boulders from the cliff face, as well as debris from a stone and wooden house that filled in the gaps and turned it into a fiery obstacle. Instead, he led them over a wooden walkway that led to a small alley behind the building next to the tower.

"Stay close to the wall!" Hadvar barked back at them as he side stepped along the secondary defences.

Following his advice, they stuck to the walls like flies on honey as they came towards a set of stairs to the right and yet more rubble and fire blocking the way ahead of them. As they approached the stairs; the ground shook as a pair of leathery wings swooped at the gang's right side and barely avoided squishing them into the wall.

Everyone remained silent as they looked up and found their worst fears siting right above them on the wall, but it wasn't looking at them. In fact, it was more focused on the ally to their right above the stairs; not in the least since an arrow just flew from there and hit the dragon on the nose. Even though the arrow bounced off him without injury, it angrily unleashed a firestorm into the alley way; resulting in a loud cry of pain from that direction for a few seconds; before the dragon finished it's vendetta and flew off to take care of the rest.

"Whew, that was close" Mare said quietly as she checked to see if the coast was clear.

Ardan and Hadvar looked around the corner and found where the arrow came from. Down the alley, they found a corpse burning near the end of yet another rubble-laden dead end; the bow in its hand slowly turning to dust. Kevin looked ahead as well and joined the other two in placing their hands on their noses to avoid the smell. When he noticed Nazz's curiosity getting the better of her, he moved his hands over her eyes as she looked over while holding his breath.

"Hey, what happened?" Nazz asked.

"You don't want to know" Ardan replied.

"Quickly, follow me!" Hadvar yelled as he ran up the stairs.

"Yes, lets" Edd added as they followed him.

Once on they cleared the stairs, they noticed that the alley was also blocked; this time by the frame from the wooden house to their left that collapsed in their way. Hadvar saw that the house also knocked down the walls; allowing them to walk past the corpse and into yet another burning house. After they zigzagged between the buildings and reached the front door; Hadvar held up his hand to the gang.

"Stay here" he ordered as he exited the house.

They spilt up and hid behind either side of the doorway; while Hadvar went outside. Looking over the ledge, they saw four Imperial soldiers; two armed with bows and two wearing hoods rather than helmets wielding fireballs from their hands.

"Dude, are those mages?" Sarah asked quietly.

"Well, technically they are battlemages since they're wearing armour" Edd answered as they watched Hadvar approach a familiar grey-haired man shouting at everyone around him.

"Isn't that General what's-its-name?" Plank questioned.

"Guess that explains why he wanted us to hide here" Lee concluded.

Out in the chaos, the general was trying to rally his soldiers when he noticed Hadvar approaching him, only for the soldiers to scatter as the dragon flew low and breathed fire down upon them. As the dragon flew away, he looked up to find his soldiers resuming the fight; while one of them tended to two of the locals who were wounded earlier in the attack.

"Come on. Give me your hand, I'm getting you out of here" a Nord wearing Imperial armour said as he tried to help a male Nord with blonde hair dressed in fur/leather pants and boots with a metal breastplate.

"Tell my family I fought bravely" the civilian whimpered; the bleeding wound in his side not showing any signs of slowing down his rapid loss of blood.

"It's still coming!" cried one of the battlemages as they tossed fireballs from both their hands at the same time.

"Damn it!" the general growled as he quickly decided what to do, and then turned to Hadvar "Into the keep soldier, we are leaving!"

"Yes sir!" he replied; running past the doorway and "It's you and me, prisoners. Stay close!"

"Follow the leader!" Ed yelled as he ran after him; soon followed by the rest of the gang.

As they exited the house, they passed a woman lying on the ground clutching her stomach as she bleed. As they ran, they felt the shockwave caused by the dragon as it flew above them; breathing fire down on the archers positioned on the walls; all of whom were complaining about the creature's inability to die.

"How does it move so damn fast?"

"What does it take to kill this monster?"

"Why won't it leave us alone?!" Eddy screamed as they ran through an archway connecting the inner walls and into a courtyard.

"Is that the keep?" Jimmy asked as he pointed with both hands to their right.

The building in question was composed of a large one story rectangular structure with a large circular two story tower on its right side; both of which had doors.

"Shelter, at last!" Rolf cried in joy.

"We're saved!" Nazz cheered.

Just as they we're sure things were going smoothly, they noticed a blonde-haired rebel squeezing his way through the blocked arch on their left; the same one they couldn't get through earlier.

"Isn't that Ralof?" Ed asked as they watched him stumble onto the ground and head towards them.

"Ralof! You damned traitor. Out of my way!" Hadvar yelled as he approached the rebel; but stopping when both he and the gang noticed he was armed.

"We're escaping, Hadvar. You're not stopping us this time" he replied as he wielded two small axes in each hand while carrying an even bigger axe on his back.

The Nord soldier was hesitant as they made their standoff; but they were interrupted when they heard the shrilling roar, they turned around to find the dragon swooping down on an archer; who was defending the walls. It grabbed the archer with its talons and flew high up over them before releasing it; causing the poor soul to glide along the sky and land outside the walls. Presuming the archer was dead; Hadvar looked back at the rebel and made his decision.

"Fine. I hope that dragon takes you all to Sovngarde" he responded; before running past the rebel as he headed for the door into the rectangular building; while Ralof made his way over to the tower door.

"With me, prisoners. Let's go!" Hadvar yelled as he stopped at the door and looked back at them.

They were about to follow him, when they heard another voice.

"You! Come on. Into the keep!" Ralof yelled as he also stopped at the door and turned back at them.

"Huh?" they asked.

"Don't listen to him. I can free you once we get into the barracks" Hadvar promised; waving them to come over.

"I can cut you loose inside. Come on!" Ralof called out.

"Oh, which do we choose?" May asked.

"I think we have something else to worry about!" Kevin shouted as the pointed behind them; at the dragon that was now approaching them.

"RUN!" they screamed as they scampered towards a door; avoiding the fiery nightmare that ensued behind them as they entered the building.

The last sound they heard was the slam of the large wooden door behind them.


	9. Chapter 8

A/N: Please visit my profile for announcements and news on updates.

As the trembling shockwave from outside subsided; the atmosphere inside the building became calm. As Nazz got up, she saw that she was in a large circular room; similar to the prison they were in earlier, but with noticeable differences.

For starters, there only two doorways; one to her left which had a wooden portcullis, and one on the right with metal railings just like their prison cells with the door made of rectangular railings. The cobble stone floor had moss growing over some parts of it and was littered with straw at the far right; the only decoration sprucing it up was the large square yellow rug with the crimson frame and diamond patterns. The walls were decorated with large Imperial banners draped on the stone walls; along with the heads of two bears and an elk hanging off the walls on wooden trophy mounts. Above her, the second story was like the stone wall below; except for the three arches in front of her that appeared to have large stones teetering on its ledge.

Just then, she heard grunting sounds behind her and looked back. She found Ralof carrying a large wooden beam towards the door and sliding it into two metal brackets. Feeling safe that the door was secure, Ralof turned around and took a breather; until he noticed something else on the floor.

Nazz followed his line of sight and saw that there was blood on the floor. She panicked as she began looking around to see who was injured.

"Kevin? Are you there?" she called out, but no one answered.

"Hey, watch your step!" a voice shouted from beneath her.

Looking down, she saw Marie on the floor; her foot merely inches away from stepping on the Dark Elf's face.

"Oops; sorry, Marie" she said apologetically; while giving the blue-haired Kanker a hand at getting up.

Once up, the two girls noticed that many of their friends were face down on the floor or trying to get back up; Rolf being the first to do so.

"Rolf is grateful for the harsh stone ground of this sanctuary"

"Never mind that, sheep-boy; where the hell are we?" Lee groaned as she staggered back onto her feet.

"I'm guessing we made it into the tower" Ardan said as he got up; only for Ralof to accidently shove him down onto his rear end as he ran into the room.

"Ouch; get off of me!" Eddy yelped; his back hurt from Ardan landing on him.

"Sorry, fella" he replied as he got back up and lifted the Wood Elf up off the ground.

As they got up, they heard the dragon roar from outside; causing dust to fall from the walls and land on a certain person's scally nose and sneeze loudly. Startled at first, they turned to find Plank sitting up while rubbing his nose.

"Hey, where's Jonny?" Plank asked; looking around as he got back onto his three-toed feet.

This caused everyone to worry as they all realised that they were the only ones in the tower.

"Wait, if they're not here then…" Rolf pondered.

"Kevin is still outside!" Nazz screamed.

"So is May!" Lee and Marie added.

"Ed?!" Eddy cried "Double D?!"

"Calm down!" Ardan shouted; gaining everyone's attention "Listen, maybe they just went with Hadvar through the other door. I'm sure if we just look around a bit, we'll find them"

This calmed the others down, but they were still anxious about the safety of their close friends. It was only then that they noticed something else.

"Where did Ralof go?" Plank asked.

"He ran into-" Nazz replied, but stopped when she saw the man in question crouching at the opposite end of the room; with a trial of blood droplets leading straight from the door to Ralof.

Worried about what was going on, they went over to him and looked over his shoulder. They were slightly relieved when they saw that the person lying on the ground was not one of their friends, but was instead a male rebel with shoulder-length brown hair. At a closer look they saw that he had his right hand near his stomach; the blood still draining from his body as Ralof checked his pulse.

"Is he-"

Before Marie could finish her question, Rolf gave her a 'not now' look; before looking back at Ralof as he moved his hand from the person's neck and used two fingers to close his eyelids.

"We'll meet again in Sovngarde, brother" he said quietly at the corpse.

Everyone was silent as they soon realised something. Here they were in a room with a dead body, and despite all the death and destruction they witnessed earlier today; they were never around for long enough for them to think of the dead during their desperate escape. And now they were stuck in a tower with one; although they were grateful he didn't smell as bad as those who were burnt alive on the streets.

As Ralof stood up and turned around, he saw Rolf and Ardan with his head lowered at the recently deceased; while the rest were standing uncomfortable at the fact that they were hanging around what was essentially a dead body.

"Looks like we're the only ones who made it" he stated; noticing that the other prisoners weren't there.

"Let's hope not" Plank remarked.

"_What in Shor's name can make all this lot stay together? I'm surprised that the Dark Elf and the Argonian haven't been fighting each other yet_" Ralof thought to himself, but decided to worry about other current matters instead.

"That thing was a dragon. No doubt" he said.

"Well, duh" Marie barked back annoyingly.

"Don't you even know what one looks like?" Eddy asked aggravatingly "_God; and I thought Ed was the one with no brain_"

"Just like the stories and the legends. The harbingers of the End Times" Ralof finished.

"Huh?" they asked; confused by what he said.

"Did you say 'legends'" Rolf asked; curious to know about the land's folklore.

Just then, they heard a faint shrilling roar from outside; causing the building to shake ever so minutely and for a small amount of dust to fall from the building above them.

"I'll explain it later, but for now; we better keep moving" he answered before drawing a small dagger from his left hip "Come here. Let me see if I can get those bindings off"

Rolf and Ardan went up to him while the others watched; hesitant that he was lying and simply wanted to leave no witnesses to his escape. They saw Ralof carefully moved the blade under Rolf's hands and made sure Rolf's hands were clear as he dragged the knife through the braided yarn. In a few seconds of cutting and tugging; he managed to free Rolf of his fibre-based handcuffs.

"Thank you, Rolf is grateful for your assistance"

"Don't mention it" Ralof said as he turned towards Ardan and freed him of his bindings.

"Geez, I'm surprised my hands didn't go purple from those" Ardan groaned as he tended the rope burns on his wrist.

As Ralof moved on to free the others, Eddy saw that the body was between a chair and a table; which had a broom standing next to it; as well as an animal horn candle holder, a strange metal box and two grey tankards; one of which was tipped over and had liquid spilt on the table. Desperately thirsty after being chased by a fire-breathing dragon all morning; Eddy rushed to the table as soon as he was freed and grabbed the tankard. When he tipped it over his mouth; he was greeted with nothingness as the mug was empty.

"For bunk sake!" Eddy complained; throwing the tankard at the wall in a fit of anger.

"Don't worry, three-stroke; we'll find some water later" Lee reckoned as she and her sister leaned against the walls; tending to their now free but sore wrists.

While the loud mouthed Bosmer fumed over the lack of H2O; Ralof, along with Ardan's assistance; was helping Nazz get free from her bindings; which the Imperial guards had knotted far too tightly for them to cut off rapidly. Ralof was busy slicing the threads with his dagger, with Ardan and Nazz making sure the blade was far enough from her wrists to avoid any nicked arteries.

"There you go" Ralof spoke as he cut through the final thread and threw the bindings away; much to Nazz's relief.

While she was tending her rope burns, Ralof sheeted his dagger and turned towards the rest of the group; particularly the two men who trusted him in freeing them.

"You two" he spoke pointing at Rolf and Ardan; gaining their attention "You may as well take Gunjar's gear. He won't be needing it anymore"

The gang were confused as to what he was talking about; until Ralof looked towards the dead body near the table, and then realised what he meant.

"You can't be serious" Nazz complained.

"That armour on Gunjar isn't doing him any good. Go ahead. Take it" he argued.

"Even I'm not desperate enough to take things from the dead" Eddy added.

"I'm surprised you never did" Plank commented; causing Eddy to be both disgusted and annoyed.

"Um, guys; I'm more worried about the reason we'll need that armour" Marie said worriedly.

"What are you on about, Marie?" Lee queried.

"Well; we're in an Imperial fort, and we were put to death" Marie added; causing everyone to become quite nervous.

"Who knows how many Imperials soldiers ran in here before the general sounded the retreat" Rolf stated; looking around to see if any were listening in.

"So one of us has to wear that armour, and like; fight them?" Nazz questioned uneasily; her mood clearly indicating that she wanted to avoid wearing a dead man's chainmail and leather armour; no matter how uncomfortable her prison clothes were.

As Eddy was thinking up some health problem he didn't have to evade being a human shield, Ardan beat him to the punch; but with a different kind of answer.

"I'll do it" he declared; before turning around and heading for the body.

"Oh, thank you, Ardan" Nazz thanked as he grabbed the body and started undressing it.

"Wait!" Eddy asked before storming between the group and Ardan "What makes you think you're some kind of warrior, tough guy?"

"Quit fooling around, hot aired Ed-boy; we have to get moving" Rolf barked as he went over and helped Ardan get the body in a sitting position.

"Look; all I'm saying is-"

"trash" Lee said as she hugged him from behind "And it's only supposed to be used in the bedroom, Romeo"

She walked away from him and joined her sister and Plank as they went to check what the dead person had left behind; leaving Eddy with an angry and blushed red-face.

000

Meanwhile, Jonny was panting heavily as he took a bit of respite after being chased by a dragon all morning, or at least it felt like it went on all morning. As he looked up from where he stood, he noticed that they were in the barracks. This was mainly due to the four beds to his left; two of which had chests at the front of them.

Once his eyes adjusted to the torch and candle light that dimly illuminated the room, he saw the less dim Ed carrying an exhausted Edd on his shoulders as he stopped at the centre of the room; before placing the Breton onto his feet and helping him stand straight.

"Curse my feeble physique" Edd gasped as he regained his breath.

"You're not the only one complaining" Jimmy whimpered as Sarah dragged him along the floor and up the step towards the beds.

"I'm exhausted" Sarah complained as she placed the Khajiit on the bed nearest to the wall; before lying down on the bed next to Jimmy's.

"I like truck exhausts almost as much as I love truck tyres" May commented; resulting in Ed hiding behind his tired friend as she approached him "But not as much as you; big guy.

"Stay back before you infect us all!" Ed boomed; using Edd as a human shield as he slowly steeped back.

At the same time, Hadvar and Kevin slowly walking away from the door they slammed shut; slowly walking up to one of the two large candle stands at the right side of the room with the Imperial banner between them. The barracks were made of stone with wooden beams on the walls and ceiling to keep it up; with only two antler trophies on the both of the central pillars being the only other form of wall decoration.

"Looks like we're the only ones who made it" Hadvar said; noticing that only half of the prisoners were safe.

"Wait" Kevin interrupted as he turned his head left and right "Where's Nazz?"

"Lee, Marie; where are you?" May called out; who also realised that not everyone was here.

"Eddy's still out there!" Ed screamed as he dropped Edd on the ground and ran for the door.

Hadvar and Kevin stood in the Orc's way to prevent him from opening the door. Just as he was about to break through them, Jonny got in front of him and helped them get Ed to stop.

"Hold on, guys" he objected; causing the others to look at him "Maybe they're not out there. What if they went into the tower instead?"

"You mean because they listened to that rebel we saw there?" Sarah asked; sitting up on the bed as she spoke.

"No silly; because Plank's leading them" he replied with a big smile.

"You really think so, Jonny?" Ed begged; who was the only person who took the nature boy's words to heart.

"Why, yes of course" Edd stated as he stood up and dusted his pants "I'm sure Plank's experience of leading people into illusive locations will ensure that our friends are safe"

When Ed finally backed down, everyone took a sigh of relief; the last thing they wanted to do is make it easier for the dragon to kill them by having the door open to his fiery attacks.

"Well, that's one formally uncontrollable beast we managed to tame today" Edd boasted as he made his way over to the others.

"Speaking of beasts; was that really a dragon, the bringers of the End Times?" Hadvar asked the brainy member of the gang; who was almost as puzzled as the others at his question.

"Well, it does have the characteristic and physical features that define a dragon. Large body, scally skin, huge wings, and of course that ability that they are most reputable for; conjuring flames from its mouth" he explained, but was interrupted when the shrilling roar from outside faintly came through the doorway and shook untold amounts of dust off the walls.

"We should keep moving. Come here. Let me see if I can get those bindings off" Hadvar announced as he drew a dagger from his left hip.

Although hesitant at first, Kevin was the first to accept the soldier's offer and within a few seconds he had was free.

"Finally; thanks dude" he said gratefully; rubbing his wrists at he moved away for Ed to have his turn.

"Ah, free as a piggybank" Ed sighed as he flexed his arms upwards; just as he was passing Edd; giving him a full blast of his smelly pits.

"Heaven's above!" Edd cried as he pinched his nose shut and rushed towards Hadvar and got his hands released from their hessian restraints "Thank you, kind sir"

"No problem" Hadvar replied as he turned to help Jonny.

As Edd rubbed his wrists; he saw some furniture near the door; consisting of two sets of shelves, a large table and two chairs. The contents between them being a bowl, an old dear skull, a bucket, a bowl, a cloth, but what really caught his eyes was a small book and four golden coins.

"Interesting" he said as he picked up the coins and inspected them; while Jonny thanked Hadvar and went to check the others.

They were minted a side portrait of Tiber Septim with the words 'The Empire is Law. The Law is Sacred' on one end, and the Imperial insignia with the words 'Praise be, Akatosh and all the Divines' on the other.

"What are you looking at, Double D?" Jimmy asked; who by now was also free as Hadvar moved on to Sarah.

"Just a few gold coins and a book" he said as he picked up the items.

"You mean you found some cash?" Sarah asked eagerly; her patience wearing as thin as the rope around her wrists as Hadvar sliced through them.

"Take a look around, there should be plenty of gear to choose from. I'm going to see if I can find something for these burns" Hadvar advised as he freed May and sheathed his dagger; before going over to the chest at Jimmy's bed and opened it.

"Found anything?" Jimmy asked as he got off his bed.

"Just an empty knapsack" Hadvar replied as he tossed it on the ground near Edd; who began to studying it.

"He's right; we're going to need something to protect ourselves with" Kevin said as he looked around and saw more furniture at the far end of the room "Ed, Jonny; you're with me"

"You got it, slick" the Redguard replied.

"A looting we shall go, a looting we shall go!" he sang off key as they followed him.

Back with Hadvar and Jimmy, they had just closed the first chest; when they looked over at the second to find Sarah already scavenging through it.

"Any luck, Sarah?" Jimmy asked as he approached her.

"Oh you bet, Jimmy" she replied as she pulled her head out of the chest "I got a helmet"

"Cool" May chimed as she stared at the redhead's leather Imperial helmet.

"And, I found some money" she added; presenting three gold coins in her right hand "And this stuff; whatever it is"

"That's it; you've found it" Hadvar said as he pointed at the dark green vial with two red bands around it.

As she handed him the bottle; they saw Edd holding out the white cloth he found on the table.

"Here, this should do as a bandage for now" he instructed as Hadvar took it and uncorked the bottle; before pouring the liquid on the burns he had on his lower left arm.

"Pardon me, Sarah, but did you manage to find a knapsack in that chest?" he asked; pointing at the chest she had just pillaged.

"What, you mean this thing?" she replied as she pulled a similar backpack out of the chest "There's nothing in it"

"We're going to need it if we are going to carry our stockpile of plunder during our travels" he informed as he placed his knapsack on his shoulders.

"He's right, Sarah" Jimmy added; only for her to toss the backpack into his hands.

"Well then you're going to keep an eye out for anything useful" she answered back as she went to find Kevin and the others.

With Jimmy and Edd following her; they found Kevin rummaging through a chest; with Ed and Jonny grabbing something off a strange wall rack on either side of the chest.

"Cool" Ed beamed.

"Wow, look at what we found" Jonny announced as they turned around.

Edd was a tad worried when he saw the two most unpredictable people in the gang, if not the world; both holding a sword in their hands, but that thought was replaced with something else.

"Yes; iron swords are a bit primitive; don't you think?" he questioned sarcastically as they saw the two staring at their rather dull-looking blades "I mean; the cross-guards are rather small"

"It will have to do" Hadvar stated as he approached them; the cloth now tied over the burn wound "Find any armour?"

"You bet" Kevin said as he pulled out a set of Imperial armour made of leather, as well as a helmet, boots and another iron sword.

"So, who's going to wear it?" Edd questioned; causing everyone to look at each other.

"I will!" May shouted.

"No way" Sarah objected; before pointing in front of her "Let get Ed do the fighting"

"Where is he?" the Orc asked as he looked around.

"Are you sure about this, Sarah?" Jimmy asked worriedly.

"Then it's decided. The tall green one gets the armour" Kevin declared; which made everyone look at him as if he was hiding something "What? Who better to clear the way than Lothar himself"

"Oh, yeah; of course" Edd mumbled "_How did he manage to remember Ed's Viking name?_"

"Fear not, my friends; for I will protect you!" Ed declared; raising his sword up high.

"Yeah" Hadvar said awkwardly "Anyway, get that armour on; and give that sword a few swings too"

Ed immediately tossed away his tattered clothes; which made everyone cover their eyes fearing he went too far. But when they opened their eyes; they saw that he wasn't as reckless as they feared. What did surprise them was when they saw him in a loincloth rather than briefs or boxers.

"What?" Ed asked innocently.

"I'm not going to ask, Ed; just get suited up" Edd said as he packed his book into his knapsack and went to help Kevin with the armour.

While May, Sarah and Jonny watched them get Ed to play 'dress up', Jimmy went over to the shelves at the right of the weapon racks and found two green bottles; one of which had a wicker base. Thinking them to be important, he placed them into his knapsack and went over to check the chest. There, he found another knapsack; which annoyed him somewhat.

"Why do people ignore such useful things" he complained to himself as he pulled it out of the box.

As he did, he heard a fainting rattling sound in the chest. Looking back in; the sight of a small shiny object made him instantly reach in and grab it.

"Open this door!"

Everyone stopped as they looked around for the angry voice; the source found when they heard the door being pounded from outside.

"Oh cripes!" Jonny cussed as they saw the watched from afar.

"Quick; hide we must" Ed whispered; now dressed in his light armour, as he rushed over to the bed at the corner where the door was.

"What are you doing you idiot?" Sarah asked grumpily.

Her question was lost when they heard the sound of the door handle being turned.

"We've no time to argue; follow Ed" Kevin yelled quietly.

When they all stood at the corner; they watched quietly as an Imperial soldier entered the room; shortly followed by an angry woman wearing metal armour.

Sarah growled "It's that lying b-"

"Quiet, she'll hear us" Ed warned as he covered his sister's mouth with his hand.

As the Imperial Captain closed the door, she marched inside and pushed the soldier forward "Come on, soldier. Move!"

"But sir, I need to regain my breath" the Nord trooper gasped; which earned him a knee in the stomach by the impatient Captain.

"No time, we're getting out of here if it kills you. Move!" she yelled.

The poor soul obeyed and staggered towards the wooden portcullis at the opposite side of the room and pulled the chain next to it. After a few clunks, the gears moved the grate down under the floor; allowing the Captain and her only soldier to move forward into the hallway and turn right; her orders echoing off the walls.

"Come on soldier! Keep moving!"

"Let's follow them" Jonny whispered as he sneaked slowly towards the hallway.

Edd was about to object; until he saw Ed and Kevin join him; swords ready as they carefully watched their step.

"_This is not good_" he thought as he followed them; with May, Sarah, Jimmy and Hadvar right behind them.

000

"Damn; who thought undressing a corpse would be so hard" Nazz groaned as she sat down at the chair.

"Quit complaining" Marie barked back as she and Plank dragged Gunjar's body over to the barricaded door and left it there.

"Still, at least Ardan's all suited up for battle" Lee bragged "You look good in a uniform"

They watched as Ardan fixed the dark blue sash over the padded leather and checking his fur boots.

"I got to admit; this chainmail is lighter than I thought" he said as he grabbed the small axe on his right hip and unsheathed it.

"Well, give it a swing" Plank spoke.

As he swung the one-handed weapon, Ralof watched him as he stood at the right side of the rail gate that blocked their way forwards; while Eddy was trying to prove he could do something by picking the lock with his fringe hair.

"You seem to be a bit unhappy with the war axe, Kinsman" the rebel stated as he saw the Irishman stop swing and toss the weapon in his hand.

"It's a bit light for me" Ardan answered back as he turned towards him; noticing the large handle poking over his head "Where did you get your weapons by the way?"

"Those Imperial dogs' have always looked for ways to make some easy coin, so they sell off anything they confiscate off of their prisoners. They left our weapons behind, but we were able to find these iron ones" he replied as he pointed to the two war axes on his hips.

"What about that huge axe on your back?" Rolf questioned.

"Oh this?" he answered as he drew the large weapon from his back "It's a battle axe. You need both hands to wield this thing. Personally, I'd prefer the war hammer, but one of the others grabbed it before I could"

"Want me to take it off your hands then?" Ardan suggested; handing his war axe to Rolf as he made his way over.

"Sure, go ahead; less for me to carry" Ralof replied as he gave him the weapon and then proceeded to remove the leather holster on his back.

As he practiced with the battle axe; everyone could clearly see that he appeared to be more happy, and skilled with the two-handed weapon. He was also impressed by the spike opposite the blade; no doubt useful for piercing metal armour should the need arise. Ralof handed him the holster; which had a leather pouch attached to a harness that crisscrossed where the middle of the persons back would be; allowing the wielder to carry it like a backpack with the handle pointing upwards over the right shoulder and draw the weapon quickly. As he put the arm straps over his shoulders; their peace was broken. Not by the dragon from outside, but by a Wood Elf with a temper issue.

"For crying out loud" Eddy complained as he tried to fix the split ends on his fringe hair.

"I told you; you can't pick a lock with your hair" Plank informed him as he went over to inspect the railed door.

"Oh yes I can, and for two good reasons" he answered back smugly "One; I picked the lock on Sarah's diary with my hair, and two; you don't have any, birdbrain"

"But that was a cheap lock she had, smart mouth. You could just stick a knife in it and you'd be able to open it no problem" Marie remarked.

"But we can't go through there; it doesn't even have a door handle to open with." Nazz stated as she pointed at the wooden portcullis.

"Come on soldier! Keep moving!" they heard from that direction; their fears rising as they recognised whose voice it was.

"The mistress of death approaches" Rolf warns as he clutches onto his war axe cautiously.

"It's the Imperials. Take cover" Ralof shouted in a hushed tone a he directed everyone towards the tower entrance to hide; except for Ardan "You hide on the right, I'll hide on the left. When they walk through; we'll ambush them"

Taking his words for granted, Ardan carried his battle axe in both hands and crouched at the right side of the portcullis; while Ralof stood on the left side and drew his two war axes. The others hugged close to the dark side of the entrance; with Rolf holding his war axe at the ready. He knew his lack of armour made him unable to fight the Imperial soldiers head on, but it didn't prevent him from launching a second ambush while they would be busy fighting.

They heard multiple footsteps approach the portcullis; the sound of a man gasping, rattling chains and clunking gears. What Ralof and the rest didn't know was what Hadvar and the other half could see from the corner of the turn in the hallway.

"Get this gate open" the Captain ordered.

From there; Ed, Kevin and Jonny watched as the soldier pulled the chain hanging on the wall and then waited as the portcullis began to lower itself into the ground.

"Let's rush them" Kevin suggested with his sword at the ready.

"Wait" Edd cautioned; causing the others to look at the intellectual at the centre of the line "Maybe we can sneak past them when they aren't looking"

"Impossible; there are too many of us to get past them" Hadvar rejected "But I do agree that we should try to get out of here without getting our hands dirty; if we can"

Once the gate was lowered; the Captain impatiently pushed her weary underling forward into the tower. Immediately, he was confronted by Ralof; swing both his axes towards him. A last second step back saved him from being harmed and allowed him to draw his Imperial sword. As the Imperial soldier ran out and fought Ralof; the Captain drew her sword and went out to join the fight. She turned right and saw Ardan, who was still hiding when he didn't see her advance through the doorway; swinging his battle axe at her. She blocked the swing by holding her sword against the handle and pushing him back.

"Not so cocky now, are you; Stormcloak traitor?!" she taunted as she made a downward strike at him.

Ardan managed to use the same strategy he saw and use the long handle to stop the sword.

"When you die and arrive in Oblivion; you'll finally get what you deserved!" he shouted back.

As the fight continued with both sides taunting; the others from behind watched in confusion at what appeared to be two rebels fighting the Imperials.

"Damn; they must have gotten in here" Hadvar said.

Sarah went up to the corner behind Kevin, looked out at the brawl, and noticed something odd about one of the rebels.

"Is that Ardan?" she questioned as the pointed at the man with the large axe as he continued to trade blows with the Captain.

"Hang on, she's right" Kevin said; his voice sounding fuller of hope as she spoke "And if he's there, then-"

"Plank's in there too" Jonny added.

"Eddy's in danger!" Ed yelled as he stood up and ran down the hallway; his mind in overdrive.

"Oh dear" Edd worried as he looked over the corner.

"Don't worry, I'll cover him" Jonny assured; patting Edd's shoulder as he followed the Orc.

"Right behind you, man" Kevin added as he chased after him.

Back at the tower, Ardan and the Captain had clashed their weapons; resulting in a standstill between the two.

"Behold the wrath of Lothar!"

Everyone looked down the hallway to see an Orc in light armour charging into the room with an iron sword in his hand. This distraction allowed Ardan to push the Captain towards the oncoming attacker. Edd made a hard downward chop at the Captain; her parry barely keeping her from being cut. Ardan struck her from behind with a chop on the right side of her torso; her armour and body rattled from the impact as she stumbled back to the centre of the room as she tried to get some space between her opponents.

During this she noticed that her only ally tried to give a hard swing at Ralof, but his slow movement allowed the Stormcloak to duck and run past him. The result was that the Imperial was now looking away from the tower entrance; where Rolf was hiding and waiting for the right moment to strike.

The Captain stood up straight and called out to warn the soldier, but was interrupted by the Orsimer's sword hitting her on the shoulder; the sound of her grunting in pain from her damaged collarbone replacing her words.

The soldier went on fighting until he made a downward stroke; which allowed Ralof to catch it in the hook, or beard; of his left axe. Moving the blade out of the way, he swiftly swung his right axe down onto the soldier's right gauntlet; causing him to almost lose his sword as he retracted in agony as he felt his broken wrist.

"SLAHORN!"

It was then that Rolf struck, as he charged from his cover and swung his war axe on the Imperial trooper's head; his leather helmet offering little protection from the sheer force that landed on it. As the soldier jerked and whimpered from the sound of the back of his skull being cracked, Ralof swung both his axes upwards and hit him right on the chin; creating even more bone crushing noise as the soldier reeled backwards and landed face up on the floor; blood spurting from his mouth as he fell.

Jonny and Kevin arrived in time to find Rolf and the rebel standing over the body an Imperial soldier. Their attention turned to Ed and Ardan; who were trying to strike the Captain down with all they had, but she kept on parrying their attacks and countering them whenever she could. When Ralof went over to assist them, Rolf turned to them and pointed at Ed; who was at the left of the Captain and indicating with his fingers for them to sneak up behind Ed and used him as cover to jump her.

Understanding his rather modern Morse code; the two snuck up behind Ed with Rolf creeping up quietly behind Ralof. Tired and cornered at the railed gate; she stopped her initial tactic of defending her flanks from the Orc and the Stormcloak, and chose to attack Ardan. He managed to block her with the handle of his battle axe, but she kept on trying to push her way through him. Taking their chances, Jonny dashed forward and thrust his sword into the exposed armpit.

She squealed in pain as the tip of the blade pierced her flesh; only saved by her ribcage as it stopped on one of the multiple bones in her chest. As Jonny withdrew his weapon and the Captain had her attention focused on the Redguard; Rolf struck a blow to the back of her head. This time; the metal helmet prevented her from being a jerking pile of nerves, but it was still painful and caused the Captain to waver in her attempt to break the siege.

Kevin also gave a swing at the back of her head; directing his slender sword at a distinct angle. By sheer luck, he managed to get under the helmet's neck guard and land a blow on her spine. She jerked her head back in pain as Ralof hit her on her already damaged collarbone, and then a downward slash to the side of her helmet by Ed; causing her to stumble and fall down in pain.

As she lay there; face up on the ground bleeding from the side and the neck; Ardan took no chances. He swung his battle axe over his head and delivered a heavy blow onto her neck; the sound of her neck snapping under the force of the blow echoed around the tower and the hallway.

As Ralof and the fighters looked at the body; the rest of the gang in the hallway rushed ahead to see what had happened; except for Jimmy, as he was throwing up yet again from the carnage he just saw.

As Edd entered the tower, he saw Eddy walking out of the entrance; looking at the body of the Imperial soldier that was killed not long ago and checked him.

"Are you ok, Eddy?" he asked as he approached him; worried that the fight had a traumatic effect on his friend.

"No" the Wood Elf responded "He doesn't even have a canteen on him"

"Glad to see your still your old self" he remarked sarcastically; moving on to see if everyone else was safe.

"May, where are ya?" Lee called out as she walked into the centre of the tower.

"Lee, your safe!" the female Bosmer cried as she ran up and hugged the Altmer.

"Yeah, yeah" she grumbled as she pushed May off of her "Hey, Marie; come on out and say hi to your sister!"

The female Dunmer walked out of the shadowy entrance and was also greeted by one of May's hugs, but she remained silent. When she saw Edd talking with Plank over what happened while they were split up; she immediately wanted to find something to do to avoid him. Looking over at the dead Captain nearby, she found her answer.

"Bit harsh; don't you think?" Kevin asked as they continued to stare at the corpse.

"Have you ever heard the saying 'Do to others what you want done to yourself'?" Ardan questioned back.

"She got what she deserved; that's for sure" Marie stated as she pasted the crowd and began to strip the body of its armour.

"Ok" Jonny said awkwardly; stepping back before running over to Plank to show off his sword.

As the group dispersed; Rolf went over and decided to loot the dead Imperial soldier of his gear. Kevin on the other hand; had dashed over to Nazz; who was also too happy to see him again. Hadvar however; wasn't happy.

"What have you done?" he barked out as he marched into the room; before stopping when he saw Ralof along with them, and Ardan dressed in Stormcloak gear.

"What does it look like?" Ardan answered back "Just defending ourselves from that old hag"

"I know she isn't the most honest officer in the legion, but why did you have to kill him?" he queried as he pointed at the now naked soldier's corpse.

"Look; we're on that death list you wrote earlier" Kevin stated as he approached him with Nazz at his side "Do you think they'll let us stay here now that we're considered to be these Stormcloak guys?

While they were arguing; Sarah and Jimmy entered to find Marie carrying a bunch of metal armour and weapons in her hands.

"Damn; this stuff is heavy" the Dark Elf complained as she lumbered around the rabbling ground; meeting up with Sarah.

"What are doing with that?" the female Imperial asked.

"Just getting us some more gear" Marie replied, at which she noticed the Imperial leather helmet on her head, and had an idea "Want to get some of the action?"

"What? Why can't the boys do it? Aren't they the ones who usually fight?" she responded in shock.

"Look" Marie said as she pointed at the breastplate "Do you think the guys want to fight wearing this?"

It didn't take long for Sarah to realise the problem when she saw the famine chest armour.

"Fine" she grumbled as took off her leather helmet and put it on Jimmy's head.

As the two ran down the hall around the corner to dress in private; Jimmy met up with Nazz; who was watching the argument from the side-lines. Noticing that he still had an extra knapsack in his hand, he went up to her and held it out to her sheepishly; which she quickly accepted. He then noticed the railed gate at the other side of the room and approached it. Turning the handle; he found that it was locked, and wondered where the key could be. He then had a brain wave and began searching his knapsack.

"Gentlemen, please; we can't argue amongst ourselves while were besieged by a dragon" Edd cautioned; who was now trying to calm the situation down.

"The only way out of here is kicking that traitor outside. I can get us through without any further conflict" Hadvar argued.

"You lying dog, there's bound to be dozens of your cowardly legionaries hiding down in those tunnels" Ralof countered; causing the others to look at him.

"Tunnels?" Ed asked worriedly.

"Yes, this fort has an escape route as old as the ancients. I found out about it as a wee boy long ago" Ralof boasted.

"Still; what's to say you won't slit our throats when we get out?" Hadvar warned as he pointed at the blonde Nord.

"All you two have to do is not fight each other until we get out of here" Kevin declared.

"If we can get out of here" Rolf spoke.

When they looked over at him; they found him wearing a full set of Imperial light armour from head to toe; armed with an Imperial sword and dagger hanging on his right hip. He tossed away a bloody rag; which he used to clean the blood on the inside of his helmet.

"What do you mean?" May asked.

"The door over there is locked" Ardan informed them as he pointed at the gate Jimmy was fiddling at.

"Did you try picking the lock?" Hadvar suggested.

"We don't have any picks, and that Wood Elf claimed he could open it with his hair. But to no avail" Ralof replied; pointing over at a fuming Eddy.

It was then they heard a clanking noise from down the hallway. Everyone watched as Sarah walked over to them in the Captain's metal armour with her sword and dagger at her side.

"Sarah's even scarier, Edd" Ed muttered as he stepped out of her path.

"Yes, I can tell" Edd agreed.

She stopped at the centre with Marie behind her, and was fed up with all the attention. Normally she liked being the focus of everyone's lives, but not in the stupid way.

"So, where do we go now?" she growled.

Plank answered "We can't move unless some opens the-"

"Got it" Jimmy called out.

At that moment; they turned towards Jimmy just as he twisted the handle and pushed the gate open. Everyone was stunned.

"How did you do it, fluffy?" Rolf asked in awe.

"Simple" he replied as he raised a metal object in his hand "I found this key in the barrack and unlocked the door"

"Cheater" Eddy muttered to himself.

Their moment was interrupted when they heard the building rumble as the nightmare from outside made another shrilling roar.

Hadvar and Ralof looked at each other; their thoughts conflicted as to whether or not to trust their enemy.

"As long as I can get word to headquarters about this, dragon; I'll consider letting walking along with you; for now" Hadvar offered.

Ralof was somewhat startled by his words, but replied "Agreed; let's get out of here. All of Skyrim must be warned, and know about this"

The two Nords then made their way to the rail door, along with Ardan, Ed, Rolf and Sarah.

"Come on, let's get out of here before the dragon brings the whole keep down on our heads" Ralof called out; resulting in everyone forming a line as they entered the doorway.


	10. Chapter 9

A/N: Please visit my profile for announcements and news on updates.

As the sounds of ghostly winds echoed silently throughout the building; Ralof entered the room and noticed there were walls to his right and ahead of him, leaving the hallway to his left as the only way forward. Given the impression that he didn't come across any unfriendly Imperial soldier, yet; the rest of the gang were convinced it was safe enough to venture onward.

When they entered; all those with weapons and armour went after Ralof; just in case he needed any backup. Meanwhile Edd, Eddy, Jimmy, Jonny, Plank, Kevin, Nazz and the Kankers were waiting at the back of the hallway near the metal railing. Bored out of his mind, Eddy looked around and saw the small cart and barrel that taunted him in his earlier attempt to pick the door lock. There was another grey mug on top of the barrel; though it was empty like the ones in the tower. He also found a metal box frame next to it and inside the cart were two heads of cabbage.

"What a dump; there's nothing here" he grumbled as he leaned against the wall.

"Perhaps in the eyes of those who only seek objects with monumental value, but on the other side of the coin these descendants of brassica oleracea will be of utmost importance for our sustenance. Especially if we're unable to acquire enough sustenance to survive in the long-term once we leave this primeval fortification" Edd explained as he went over and took his knapsack off his bag; before opening it and placing the two cabbages inside.

Eddy ignored his statement and looked to his left to find the Kankers sitting on a bench at the dead end.

"There's room for one more; Tiger" Lee tempted as she made room for him and patted on the space beside her.

"Yeah, if you lot weren't sitting on it" he shot back; before noticing Jimmy crouching towards the far corner "Hey; what're you doing, Curly?"

"Just searching for good loot" the Khajiit replied as he turned around and moved to reveal two burlap sacks.

"Find anything?" Nazz asked.

"Just a load of salt in both of them" he replied; pulling out a small brown bowel full of the white crystal condiment.

Edd approached him and looked into the sacks, and then said "It seems we have about eight portions of sodium chloride altogether" as he poured the contents into the smaller sack and tied it up before putting it into his knapsack.

Kevin was waiting with Jonny and Plank; watching the front guard advance slowly forward in fear of alerting the guards. As he looked around; he noticed something hanging off Plank's hip.

"Dude, where did you get that axe?" he queried.

"This thing" the Argonian replied as he drew it out of its holster "Rolf complained that it was as dull as an American history test, so when he looted a sword from that dead soldier, he gave it to me"

Their conversation was disrupted when they saw Sarah approach them; sword at the ready as she waved at them with her left hand.

"Coast is clear; let's get moving" she whispered loudly.

When they gang caught up with the others; they travelled down as set of stairs that winded towards the left around the tower. Once at the bottom; they find a wall with another flaming torch in front of them, but they notice a corridor to the right that went in the opposite direction.

"Wrong way" Ed said.

"Shut up, bonehead" Eddy growled as they entered the corridor; only to stop when he saw two Imperial soldiers ahead chatting with each other "Aw, crap"

Everyone quickly moved back and hid themselves behind the doorway.

"Imperials" Ralof said as he drew his duel war axes.

"Hold on. Just because the Captain got what she deserved doesn't mean these guys should too" Hadvar warned.

"So you would rather that we'd be the ones who get killed?" Nazz asked; which shocked everyone.

"Easy for you to say, Hadvar; you're not the one who's name is on a death list" Marie accused.

"I may have wanted to get back at Captain Meany, but I'm still a pacifist at heart. There has to be another way" Jonny admitted.

"Well then, I suggest we give those soldiers a choice; either step aside," Kevin stated as he drew his sword "or step into their graves"

"Only Lothar's wise words will sway these warriors to let us pass" Ed declared as he began to walk into the corridor.

"Get back her you idiot!" Sarah yelled; echoing around the building.

"Hey, did you hear that?" they heard inside the corridor.

"Feck" Ardan cursed; drawing his axe from his back "Let's get this done with"

"Indeed" Rolf added as the two went in to assist the Orc.

As they ran in, they saw Ed was almost halfway down the corridor; the soldiers looking the other way in their search for the noise Sarah made earlier. When they caught up with him; they felt the ground shake; causing them to stumble and stop in their track. Just then, the ceiling fell down in front of them. In a split second; the soldiers were flattened underneath a heap of stone and rubble, as a familiar guttural roar was heard in the background of stones cracking and dust falling.

"Are you guys alright?!" May yelled.

Once back on their feet, Rolf answered "Yes; we're okay, and don't worry; the thick-headed Ed-boy is safe as well"

"What's going on in there?" Plank queried.

"Let's just say those soldiers have been taken care of" Ardan replied blankly.

When the rest of the gang entered; they saw their three lightly armoured friends standing in front of a large pile of rocks and dust that replaced both the Imperial soldier and the rest of the corridor.

"What in God's name happened here?" Edd blurted as he approached them.

"The darkness in the skies is attempting to bury us alive to thwart our advance towards freedom" Ed explained.

"Damn, that dragon doesn't give up easily" Ralof groaned as he and the others gathered before the large pile of rubble.

"Great; now how are we going to get outta here now?" Eddy questioned.

"Ahem" Sarah coughed informally; pointing him to the door on their left.

"_I hate it when that happens_" he mentally grumbled.

As she approached the door; Jimmy's ears twitched as he heard a banging sound from the other side of the door.

"Wait" Jimmy whispered as he grabbed Sarah's arm as she reached for the door handle "Listen"

At first they thought he was going crazy; until they heard a loud snapping sound from the same door, along with some other noise.

"Grab everything important and let's move! That dragon is burning everything to the ground" they heard from inside.

"More company" Lee said quietly.

Hadvar walked in front of the door and turned around "Listen; maybe I can convince them that we're just prisoners, or send them into the barracks while we make our way out"

"Ugh, still think they're going to just listen to you?" Marie grumbled.

"Very well, we'll let you have a go at convincing these soldiers into letting us pass" Rolf agreed.

"But if they won't, we're going to have do this the hard way; whether we like it or not" Kevin warned.

Taking Kevin's words seriously, Hadvar wasted no time turning around and pushing the door forward. As he entered the room; the gang noticed that the door was hinged to the right. Taking this to their advantage; Sarah sneaked up behind the door and looked over. She saw Hadvar walking past a central column made of stone and wooden beams.

"How's he doing in there?" Edd asked quietly.

"So far so good" she replied.

"I just need to gather some more potions" said a tired voice "Wait. Hadvar, you're alive"

"Good to see your alive, Hadvar; what's the situation out there?" asked an authoritative voice.

"_Hang on a minute_" she thought as she leaned forward and found Hadvar talking to two male Imperials, one in light armour and another in heavy armour "_Crap_"

"What's wrong?" Jonny questioned silently.

"There's a Captain or something trying to boss him around" she whispered.

"Drat" Edd groaned as he face palmed himself; until he felt a metaphorical light bulb turn on in his head "Sarah; you go in there and pretend to be his Captain"

"What?" she asked back; turning her attention away from Hadvar's vain attempts to get the soldiers to go away.

"Hey, Double D's right" Eddy agreed "Just tuck you're hair under your helmet and you can scare them away like her"

In a normal circumstance; Sarah would've knocked Eddy into next week for such a remark, but as she heard Hadvar's continued attempts to get the Imperial soldiers to move away fail; she knew she had no choice.

"Jimmy, fix my hair" she ordered quietly as she removed her helmet.

"Yes, Sarah" he replied; moving behind her

Moving behind her; he gently took her hair and tied it into a ponytail; using the string from the sacks he looted earlier. He then pulled it over her head so that the end of the ponytail was stopping just before her fringe, and then prompted Sarah to put on her helmet; thus hiding any trace of hair visible outside the protective headgear.

"Good luck" Jimmy whispered as his close friend put on a stern face and marched into the room to 'save' Hadvar.

"Listen, Hadvar; we can't retreat until General..." the Imperial in heavy armour said; until he saw the imposing female Imperial march in and lost the colour in his face "Uh; Captain, sir. What's the situation with General Tullius?"

"What do you think, scum? The General ordered us to leave Helgen, so stop slaking off here and get moving!" she barked in a sharp deep voice; causing the lightly armoured Imperial to flinch in fear.

"Sorry, sir; my fellow Sergeant and I had agreed to wait deep in the fort's escape route until he arrives safely before returning to Castle Dour. I was leading some of the men back here to salvage any food and medicine while we" the heavily armoured Imperial answered.

"We don't have time to wait. That dragon out there has just caused the roof above the hallway to collapse on top of your soldiers. That's why we had to divert through the kitchens" Hadvar argued; which shocked the two legionnaires.

"You mean that, thing is going to bury us alive?" the Imperial soldier asked worriedly.

"Hey" the Sergeant spoke; before pointing at Sarah "You're not the Captain; your skin isn't dark enough for someone from Colovia"

Both Sarah and Hadvar, as well as the rest of the gang; were set back by the Officer's remarks; while the soldier next to him regained some of his composure.

"Yeah, she's Nibenese; though with an ugly face like that she'd almost pass of for-"

"WHAT?!" she yelled loudly; the air instantly becoming hotter than the dragon's fiery breath they faced earlier.

"_Oh no!_" Edd and Jimmy cried mentally as the hot redhead's voice echoed around the building.

"That's it, you're dead!" she screamed as she drew her sword and charged at the Imperial soldier; who had barely managed to draw his sword in order to parry her frenzied swing.

"Plan B!" Kevin shouted; with all those bearing arms and armour rushing into the room to aid them.

"Stormcloaks!" the Sergeant shouted as he saw Ralof and Ardan heading towards them "Hadvar, you traitor!"

"Wait, let me explain!" the Nord soldier begged, but his words fell on deaf ears as everyone picked their target.

"Ed will save you, baby sister!" the Orc yelled as he charged into the back room where the raging woman kept slashing furiously at the soldier who insulted her.

"W-What?" Hadvar asked bewilderedly.

While Kevin and Ralof went ahead to aid the sibling duo; Ardan, Rolf and Jonny concentrated on the Sergeant in the front of the room. Rolf and Jonny concentrated on trying to jab into the gaps in the heavy armour; while Ardan tried to land a hard hit on him to get him open for the kill. All the while, Hadvar watched on from a distance, as did all the rest of the gang from the door they hid behind.

At the back of the room, Sarah kept hacking and slashing at the Imperial; who kept blocking most of her hits with his sword. Fortunately for him, she kept hitting him on his shoulder; which was protected by metal studs that kept her from cutting him halfway to his torso. Unfortunately; her strikes kept hitting his collarbone hard; causing much pain through his body. It also left him exposed to Ed and Ralof; who took swings at his lower torso; their strikes causing him to bend over before returning to block the angry hothead's blows.

After a few minutes of wear and tear, Sarah made a downward strike at the exhausted soldier; slicing halfway through his exposed upper sword arm. He screamed in pain; dropping his sword just as Ralof slammed him at the back of the neck; the war axe snapping the bones of his spine. As he fell to the ground; they turned back to see the Sergeant putting up a better fight than his recently deceased counterpart.

Rolf, Ardan and Jonny were having difficulty defeating the Sergeant, as he not only blocked and parried their hits, but also kept trying to counterattack them when they least expect it. So far, neither side managed to land a critical blow; with the Sergeant's heavy armour and the gangs numbers keeping either side from harming each other. Suddenly; the Sergeant charged at Jonny and tackled him to the ground. Hadvar stood by as the Sergeant raised his sword above himself with the point aiming for the Redguard's throat.

Plank lost it; as he drew his war axe and charged at the Sergeant screaming wildly; causing the Imperial to miss and hit the floor. Before he could react, the Argonian pierced his throat with the spike behind the blade; resulting in the Sergeant gurgling before spitting out blood. Plank had difficulty removing the weapon from his dying opponent; each pull causing more and more blood to be spat out as Jonny lay beneath them. Panicked over the thought of being drowned in the red fluid, he quickly pulling himself out and back onto his feet; only to watch his best friend remove the spike and allow blood to shoot directly between his eyes as the body dropped face down and jerked for a few seconds.

When the sounds of battle ceased; Hadvar looked around at the carnage that just took place, as did the rest of the gang when they ventured into the bloodied room.

"Some help you were" Kevin said as he passed by him; sheathing his sword before Nazz dashed into his arms and hugged him.

"Jonny almost died there; why didn't you save him?!" Plank yelled; marching up to the Nord soldier and glaring at him.

"I couldn't. If I attacked my own men; they can accuse me of treason and have me clubbed to death" Hadvar responded innocently.

"Like a sandwich?" Ed asked; earning him another slap on the head from Sarah.

After recovering from the shock, Jonny stated "You could've just pulled him off of me; you didn't have to kill them"

Hadvar looked around and found mixed feelings among the group. Some were clearly unhappy about his lack of assistance in the fight; while others were still thinking about what had happened earlier. Once again, it took the roar of the dragon outside to remind them about their more serious problem.

"Now's not the time to argue. Let's just get out of here" Edd announced; wishing to move as far away from the beast outside as possible.

"But first" Rolf announced as he crouched over the dead Sergeant and removed the gauntlets; before standing up and holding them out to the crowd "Who's going to join the brotherhood of bands?"

Before anyone could answer, Kevin raised his hand and walked up to Rolf; taking the metal arm protectors and putting them on while the Imperial helped salvage the gear from the dead man.

"It appears we've located a Kitchen of some sorts" Edd stated as he looked around the room and noticed a dining table to the right of the fireplace.

"Didn't that guy say something about potions?" May asked.

"This is also a store room; no doubt their battlemages were making some healing potions for the wounded" Hadvar informed them; before heading towards the back of the room.

"See if you can find any; we'll need them if we're going to face anymore legionnaires up ahead" Ralof instructed as he followed him.

"Alright then, let's split up and find what we need" Ardan declared as he walked in front of the remaining gang member and began point at each of them "Jimmy and the Kankers can check the area around the fireplace and the dining table; Edd, Nazz and Eddy will check the barrels and sacks; Ed, Sarah and I will check the back of the room"

"What about us?" Jonny questioned; pointing to himself and Plank.

"You two can undress that soldier and decide who gets the gear" he added before everyone began to search for anything that could make their travels easier.

Jimmy shivered at the thought of being with the Kankers, but he quickly calmed down when he saw them looking for something interesting to find. With his mind at ease, he looked around and found a small table at the other side of the centre pillar; complete with chair, a bearskin on the wall, a goat horn candle and yet another green glass bottle with a woven basket around it.

As he approached it while removing his knapsack from his back; May was busy jumping around the centre pillar. Lee had just removed a freshly gutted rabbit and pheasant from a rack near the fireplace when she turned around and saw her youngest sister acting as if the bunny's spirit had possessed her.

"What's up with you, May?" she asked as she walked up to her with her goods at hand.

"I'm trying to get those herbs down" May replied; pointing up at the garlic reeds and green leaves that were tied to the beam above at either side of the centre pillar.

"Pssf; allow me, bucktooth" she boasted; handing her the animal carcases as she reached up to grab them.

At the dining table; Marie stood behind the two chairs as she viewed the contents. Apart from the goat horn candles and utensils; all there was left was half a loaf of bread and a green glass bottle with a woven basket at the base. Behind the table stood three shelves; two with three shelves going along the table with the third with lower drawers forming a corner to the right. She approached the first one to the left and found a pot at the bottom shelf. Ignoring it, she glanced at the middle shelf and found a small blue vial and a bowl of salt.

After picking them up and placing them on the table, she went onto the second set of shelves; discovering another pot at the bottom shelf, three tankards on the middle shelf and a bucket on the top shelf; which was empty. The final set of shelves had four tankards at the top shelf; another green glass bottle with woven base and a small red vial with strings tied around it; while the drawers contained a tankard, a roll of parchment, a book and a gold coin.

While she was gathering her goods, Lee had just finished picking a piece of garlic off of each reed and yanked all the green leaves; before handing them to Jimmy. As he stored them in his backpack; May held up the dead rabbit and pheasant in front of him; causing him to faint.

"May; you know Curly has never even seen road kill in his life" Marie complained as she approached them and placed her items into the knapsack; followed by the dead animals.

"Only 'cause his girlfriend keeps covering his eyes when they drive past them" May sneered.

"And what if he finds them in his little bag, Marie?" Lee asked smugly.

"He won't if you keep your mouth shut" Marie shot back.

"Speaking of which, I call first dibs on CPR!" May announced as she approached the unconscious Khajiit.

While May was busy trying to revive Jimmy, Kevin walked back into the hallway with his arms full of weapons and armour to get dressed. When Jimmy started screaming as he woke up to the sight of a Kanker trying to kiss him; Edd was searching through the barrels in the centre of the room; while Eddy and Nazz was searching through the sacks nearby.

"This blows" Eddy complained as he rooted through the sacks under the loft that joined the two rooms together "There's nothing here but red apples"

"That's good Eddy; more provisions means less starvation" Edd stated as he examined the barrels; while Eddy made a face at him before heading up the stairs to the loft above.

Most of them were smashed open at the top; except for one which had a hammer on top.

"_Well, that explains the noise we heard earlier_" he thought as he lifted the hammer up and placed it on the ground.

He noticed that the lid was loose; so he opened it and looked inside. He saw four objects at the bottom of the barrel that shimmered in the candlelight. Edd reached in and grabbed what felt like a small test tube, but when he pulled it out; it was actually the neck of a small red vial with string tied around it. He reached in again and pulled out another one; then a blue one and finally a green one.

"Find anything, Double D?" Nazz asked as she searched the baskets and sacks at the left corner of the back room.

"I may have just found the alchemical remedies we were searching for" Edd announced; causing Eddy to look down on him from the loft.

"Show off" he muttered to himself as he jumped down to the ground empty handed.

As Edd packed away the vials; he and Eddy saw Jonny and Plank walk past them and took a left at the support pillar. Just then, Kevin returned; now donned in Imperial heavy armour bar a helmet equipped with an Imperial sword, iron sword and iron dagger; with Rolf following close behind.

"Hey Nazz, find anything?" Kevin called out.

"Just four bags of flour" the blonde Breton replied as she turned around; before getting a look at her boyfriend's new apparel "You're ready to go?"

"Not yet!" Sarah yelled; causing everyone bar Jonny and Plank to approach the back of the room and find her trying to pull a basket away from her green-skinned brother.

"But I like chickens, Sarah" Ed cried as he tried to save the woven twig container.

"No!" she barked; causing the Orc to back off.

With him out of the way, Sarah reached in and pulled out the object that was causing all the ruckus; a bluish-green egg.

"Isn't that out of date?" Jimmy asked as he poked his head from the corner.

"No; that's a Rock Warbler egg" Hadvar answered.

The gang turned around to find the 'friendly' legionnaire and Ralof waiting near a door.

"Interesting" Edd spoke; walking up to Sarah to examine the item.

"That's not the only one" she added; pointing down into the basket at the three extra eggs that were contained inside it.

"I'll keep them safe" Edd said as he picked up each egg and began to pack them into his knapsack.

"What about you, Ardan?" Sarah asked.

The man in question was looking away from them; standing in front of a large worn table before turning to answer their question.

"Just a red vial and a bowl of salt" he replied; handing both objects to Nazz "Oh, and two fresh rabbits"

The moment he finished his sentence; they heard a thud, as Jimmy once again fainted at the sound of more dead bunnies. Marie went over and took the tiny bodies from Ardan before returning to her sisters.

"Don't worry; he'll wake up" Lee explained as she looked to May.

The female Wood Elf giggled as she grabbed Jimmy's head and prepared to do CPR; only for Sarah to punch her on the side of the head. The Khajiit woke up to find Sarah looking angrily at the Kankers, and a certain blonde with a bruised cheek.

"Did we miss anything?"

Looking back; everyone saw Jonny enter the room in Imperial light armour with Imperial sword and iron dagger at hand; along with Plank entering with his war axe on one hip and an iron sword on the other.

"No; you just prevented a new war erupting within another one" Ardan joked; before hearing a cough from the Stormcloak nearby.

"Done yet?" Ralof asked impatiently; just before the roar of the dragon caused more dust to fall.

"How does that thing never run out of breath?" Eddy complained as he dusted his head.

"For as long as it breaths, Eddy" Ed explained.

"Come on; let's get out of here" Hadvar said; pushing the door forward as he and Ralof began to scout the hallway.

While Jimmy and Ardan gave their bowls of salt to Edd; who placed it into the sack he picked up earlier; Kevin went over Nazz and removed the small leather belt that carried his iron sword.

"Here, just in case" he said as she slowly took the weapon and stared at it.

"Thanks, Kev" she replied quietly; before fastening the belt around her waist.

Once ready; the gang entered to find the same rubble pile that was blocking their way earlier to their right. With no way to go but left; they continued down the hallway; making a right turn at a corner passing a bench and set of selves before going down a set of stairs towards a shadowy room. Halfway down, they heard the grunts and cries of battle below as they sighted a Stormcloak armed with a war hammer in combat with an Imperial soldier wielding a mace.

"What is this place?" Marie asked as they stopped and watched from the distance.

As they approached quietly; they discovered a room with two centre pillars, and three large rusty cages the size of a human.

"Not another prison" Plank groaned quietly as they watched the fight from a distance without being noticed.

"Trolls blood" Ralof gasped silently; which caught the gang's attention "It's a torture room"

"What?" everyone gasped; except Hadvar; who remained silent.

The Stormcloak and Imperial solider began moving to the right as the fight progressed. Suddenly, a crack of lighting could be heard; followed by the sight of a female Stormcloak being knocked back. The Nord in question held up her shield just as a stream of electricity hit her; causing her to cry in pain. The reason for this strange occurrence came in the form of a hooded legionnaire slowly approaching the traumatised woman; with a dagger in one hand, and the sparkling lighting projecting out of the other.

"_A mage!_" everyone thought.

Despite being silent, the magic wielder noticed the audience to his left; in particular the two men drabbed in Stormcloak armour. He stopped casting his wicked spell on the poor soul; leaving her to gasp for air as he turned towards them.

"Imposters!" he cried out; his hand beginning to let off sparks between his fingers.

Fearing the worst; everyone ducked out of the way; just as he unleashed another bolt of lightning directly at the group. The sparks flew by and hit Edd; who was unfortunately too slow to get out of danger, and was struck down. Everyone watched; fixed in fear as the Mage continued to electrocute their friend; cackling as the bar-chested individual cried in pain.

All of a sudden; the gang saw a person run through them; only seeing eyes of red turning into a venomous shade of black as it ran towards the attacker.

Without thinking; Marie was charging in the direction of the hooded felon when she spontaneously combusted; her body engulfed in a whirlwind of fire that clung to her body. Yet she didn't fell any sort of pain as this fierce firestorm engulfed her; instead she gave a monstrous scream of anger and fury. The hooded figure lost his focus as the screeching noise hurt his eardrums; causing him to stop his spell casting before he felt his body burn from the intense heat as the Dunmer tacked him to the ground. The impact; combined with the arcane fires; caused him to cry in pain.

This got even louder when she began to mercilessly punch him in the face; each strike of her right fist ignoring his please for mercy. Instead; the sound of his dagger dropping to the ground caught her ear, and so she grabbed it and stabbed him in the side of the neck; then swiftly dragging it all the way across his throat. The hooded figure gargled as his mouth filled with blood; his throat shooting out against Marie's shirt as he slowly succumbed to his death.

"What was that, Lee?" May whispered; arms wrapped around the waist of her High Elf half sibling.

"I don't know, and don't want to know" she replied silently; secretly admitting that even she didn't want to suffer from her blue-haired sister in such a merciless killing.

This barbaric scene caught the Imperial soldier's attention; allowing the Stormcloak to easily deliver a deadly blow to the head with his war hammer; killing him almost instantly.

As the flames around her faded away revealing her to be unharmed, Marie saw the female Stormcloak holding her hand out as a glowing orange light shone inside her palm; its rays traveling around her body as it slowly healed the cuts and wounds she suffered earlier. Taking a closer look, Marie saw that she had long blonde hair; which triggered something in her mind; before looking at the male Stormcloak's messy brown hair and the bloodstain on the right leg.

"You're those rebels from the tower" Marie exclaimed; catching the woman's attention as the light in her hand went away.

"I see you made it out alive as well, grey skin" she responded as she stood up and sheathed her war axe.

"Whatever, come with me" Marie demanded; ignoring her new nickname as she rushed back up the stairs; where the gang were still standing, and where Edd lay wounded.

Once there; the two women, stood on either side of him; examining the wounds on his chest.

"They're not as bad" the female Stormcloak stated "Magic folk tend to be fair better at dealing with magic-inflicted wounds"

"What?" Edd groaned; opening his eyes slowly as he regained consciousness.

"Surely you know how to cast a decent healing spell?" she asked; puzzled by his reply.

"Why can't you heal him?" Marie asked angrily.

"I'm just a Novice. Normally I use potions to cure those apart from myself that are wounded" she answered.

"Damn it" Marie complained; until she had an idea "Come on, Edd; just think about a light in your hand that can make the pain go away"

Taking her words into consideration; Edd held up his hand and thought of what she told him. In a second; he felt a strange energy flow into his palm as a soothing light of the same colour began to cover his body and slowly close the cuts and gashes he had received from the hooded legionnaire.

"Cool!" Jonny chirped.

With the patient healed; the female Stormcloak was joined by her fellow rebel with the war hammer stopping behind her as he looked into the crowd and found a familiar face.

"Ralof; thank Talos you're still alive" he said; until he noticed another face he didn't want to see again "Wait; what's that Imperial dog doing here?"

The female Stormcloak also recognised Hadvar and both drew their weapons; ready for battle. Just when the gang thought they were going to face another battle; Ralof stood before them.

"Don't, he doesn't want trouble" he announced; which made the two rebels nervous.

"What's the meaning of this, Ralof?" the female Stormcloak queried.

"Calm down; he's not one of the Captain's minions; at least not anymore" Ralof assured them; which brought a smile to their faces.

"You mean you've killed her?" the male Stormcloak asked; hoping his ears weren't lying to him.

"We did" he replied; moving his arm in the direction of the gang behind them.

"And what about him?" the female Stormcloak asked as she nodded in Hadvar's direction.

"We don't kill him and he won't kill us. Imperials or not; all of Skyrim must be warned" he finished.

After a moment of thought; the rebels sheathed their weapons and walked up to the gang.

"Ralof says you're alright, and that's good enough for us" the male Stormcloak spoke, and then turned to Hadvar "As for you; one traitorous move and I'll send you to Oblivion personally"

"If I do; you'll be the first to know" Hadvar replied.

"Anyway" Eddy yawned as he walked between them into the torture room "Shall we keep moving"

Taking his advice, for once; they entered the room of manacles, chains, cages and old bones where two corpses lay on the ground. Marie; with the dagger still in her hand decided to take the dead man's armour, boots and gauntlets for herself; except for the hood which she despised.

"Good work on that torturer there" the male Stormcloak complemented as he passed her.

Meanwhile; Kevin noticed iron bars forming a cell opposite the cages at the right corner of the room. Equipped with a corner counter; he believed it to be a contraband room full of their victim's possessions. Upon entering; he was greeted by weapon rack containing an iron mace; similar to the dead legionnaire they saw earlier; with four protruding spikes ensuring a heavy vicious blow regardless which way the wielder held it. Below it laid a shield made of wood; with a large iron boss at the centre connected to a metal frame around the circular wooden edge.

While Kevin was busy gathering the weapons; Nazz entered the contraband room and searched the shelves under the counter; managing to find two books, an iron dagger and two thin metal objects with a hook on one end.

Back at the cages; May watched as Eddy looted the dead legionnaire's body of its armour and mace; before running back up the stairs with Ed to get dressed. With no handsome Orc to look at, her eyes caught sight a small round table at the second centre pillar with a knapsack, an iron dagger and a black book. At closer inspection, she saw the Imperial insignia on the book cover when she picked it up. Deciding to leave it for Edd to ponder over later; she opened the knapsack and placed it inside; until she discovered a red vial inside the bag; as well small dull knife and four long thin metal objects; wide at one end and thin with a hook at the other.

"Was Jarl Ulfric with you?" Ralof asked as they stopped at the first cage.

"No, I haven't seen him since the dragon showed up" the female Stormcloak answered.

"Neither have I" the male Stormcloak added.

As Marie ran into the hallway to the left at the end of the cages; with Sarah following suit to keep her safe from Imperial soldiers and perverts alike; Ralof noticed something.

"Wait a second; looks like there's something in this cage" Ralof stated as he approached the middle one and looked in.

Eddy returned; equipped in Imperial light armour, boots and gauntlet; complete with iron mace. As he and Ed joined the rest of the gang beside Ralof; they saw a dead body dressed in blue robes with a brownish-yellow hood with a dark coloured book, a small blue vial and four gold coins.

"Money!" Eddy shouted as he tried to open the cage, but to no avail "Huh?"

"It's locked" Hadvar explained; pointing at a rusted padlock that kept the door handle connected to a holed bar projecting from the rail parallel to it; which kept the cage tightly shut.

"How do we get it out?" Plank asked.

Hadvar reached into his pouch and pulled out a dull knife and a dozen thin metal strips of metal with little hooks; which only indicated one thing in the Wood Elf's mind.

"See if you can get it open with these picks; you'll need that gold once your outside" Hadvar instructed.

Eddy swiped the items from him and got to work. He lifted the lock and placed the dull blade into the bottom of the keyhole; before placing the pick at the top of the keyhole and started tweaking it. At the same time, May and Nazz realised what the metal objects were and noticed a jail cell down the hallway Marie and Sarah went through. Deciding to have a look at what lay in there, and to have a go at picking locks; they ran into the dim hallway leaving the others to watch Eddy.

"Bet ya 10 gold coins he'll break all those picks without opening the cage" Kevin dared as he approached Rolf with his shield in hand and mace hanging off his right hip.

"Double if he gets it done right after you agree?" Rolf gloated; causing his best friend's ego to inflate like a balloon.

"Deal" her replied as he shook hands with him; just as the clicking sound reverbed around the room.

"Aha!" Eddy chimed as he pulled the lock off the door handle and threw it behind him.

The gang ducked to avoid the rusty iron contraption before Eddy swung the door open and snatched the money. He quickly ran over to the torchlight from one of the pillars to marvel at the wealth he had just acquired; while Ardan and Plank went into the cage and carried the body out. Once done; Edd went in and picked up the small blue vial and the black book; which he examined closely.

"Is that a spell book, Double D?" Ed asked.

"It does appear to be some form of arcane text" he replied as he looked closely at the dark red symbol that took the shape of a swirling flame forming five tendrils; the one on the right being the shortest.

"We'll worry about that later. Right now; you need to get dressed" Ardan interrupted as he removed the hood from the corpse and tossed it to the baffled Breton.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked as if he was insulted.

"Look; this guy doesn't have any maggots or worms crawling in him; so it won't kill you to wear it instead of those rags you have" Kevin explained as he helped Ardan pull the bits of cloth, pants and shirt off the body and pile them onto Edd's book.

"I refuse to wear such filthy-"

Before he could finish his response, the robes and hood became enveloped in a light blue glow; traveling along the fabric like a gently river. Everyone watched in awe at the spectacle apart from the Rebels, Hadvar and Eddy; the latter of whom was looking at his sparkly coins in awe.

"Mages always have their robes enchanted to aid them in spell casting" the female Stormcloak stated before thumbing towards the stairs "Best put them to use"

Intrigued at the prospect of using magic, as well as wearing something that felt a lot softer than the roughspun clothes he had on; Edd ran up the stairs to change into his now outfit. Back at the cages; Lee suddenly realised something was amiss.

"Hey; how did you two manage to avoid all those Imperial's earlier?" she queried as she pointed at the two rebels they met not a few minutes ago.

"We didn't come across anyone when we entered; even this torture room was empty when we arrived. But when we heard sounds coming from there;" the male Stormcloak answered as he pointed at the hallway to the right of the cages "we hid behind the counter in the contraband room and waited for them to go by, but that damn torturer and his assistant wouldn't go on and decided to stay here in case they had more people to deal pain to. We stayed there until the assistant decided to fetch his shield; that's when things got messy"

Just as he finished, Marie returned dressed in Imperial light armour, boots and gauntlets with her dagger hanging on her left hip. It was then that Kevin unbuckled the belt with his imperial sword and handed it over to Marie.

"Your clearly better with a blade than me" he assured her as he drew the mace hanging on his right him and unhooked it from his belt "Besides, I always preferred beating people up rather than cutting them up"

She simply attached the weapon to her hip; before walking over to Lee and whispered "Thanks" as she passed Kevin.

Shortly after the Dark Elf's arrival, the gang heard footsteps from the stairs behind them and turned around to find the first two Eds return; with Edd now decked in his blue tunic and brown pants. The robes draped over him had brownish-yellow trim from the waist down and a buckle on the left shoulder to prevent it from slipping. The sleeves stopped only halfway before turning into sewn-on arm wraps. A small pouch hung from his left shoulder and lay against the right side of his back. Under his robe buckle and bag strap was a brownish-yellow shoulder cape which was tied to the hood that covered most of his head; keeping his secret hidden from the others. As he finished packing the book and vial he found earlier into his knapsack, he looked up to find the gang staring at his new attire. Looking down; he noticed it had dry mud stains speckled at the lower half of his robes.

"_I really need to wash this later_" Edd noted mentally.

"How do you feel, Double D?" Jonny asked; eager to see him perform more magic tricks.

"Well, I do feel like I have more energy or magicka as it is properly called, and I think it has also improved the rate in which my magicka is regained" he replied while checking his footwraps; which he had improved by using his roughspun pants to properly cover his feat.

"How do you know, glow-in-the-dark Ed-boy" Rolf questioned; placing his hand under his chin.

"I casted my healing spell when I was fully dressed and found-"

"Yeah, yeah, Houdini; tell me when you can turn bread into gold and we'll talk then" Eddy yawned; leaning against the central pillar with the table as he tossed his coins in his hand.

"That's lead, Eddy. I'd expect someone with your affluent ideals to properly know such mythology off by heart" he commented as he reached into his pouch "And speaking of gold"

Eddy's eyes practically bulged when Edd unveiled a small leather coin purse with a tiny string tied at the top. Its contents jingled as he tossed it lightly in his hands; the sound indicating he had more that Eddy's measly four Septims.

"Well done, Double D" Jimmy congratulated; clearly enjoying Eddy being put in his place.

"I found it inside this pouch and counted 25 pieces inside, as well as two more blue vials" Edd finished.

While everyone was distracted, Plank managed to sneak behind Eddy; who was too busy staring jealously at the Mage to notice. He quietly managed to swipe the four coins from Eddy and sneak up to Edd's side before he noticed what had happened.

"Make that 29" Plank boasted as he offered Edd the extra coinage; which he accepted by loosening the string and storing it inside before returning it to his pouch.

"Hey, that's my money!" Eddy shouted; making a dash for the Breton until he was brought to a sudden halt by Ed; who had grabbed him by the collar and kept him from getting any closer "What the?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk; can't you see Double D is saving your money for a rainy day, Eddy?" Ed remarked; which caused Eddy to glare at him.

"Thank you, Ed" Edd said as he picked up his knapsack and placed it onto his back.

"Done? Then let's move" Ralof announced as he made his way over to the hallway next to the cages and looked down to find Sarah and Nazz watching May try to pick the lock on a cell door.

The hallway had four prison cells with two on either side. Judging by the lack of impatient comments from within them, Ralof guessed they were empty. The first two on either side were open; while the last two were closed, and presumed locked. May was busy picking the second cell to the right; her ears and eyes focused for any signs of her Lockpick being in the wrong direction. He then noticed the rusty fire basin at the end of the hallway behind the girls, as well as the passage it had to the left.

As Ralof went to investigate, the rest of the rebels followed him; leaving Hadvar and the others to stand and watch as May tried to open the cell door. Curious as to why she was trying to gain access; Eddy and Marie were the first to join the other girls to find a dusty skeleton lying on the floor.

"Stop wasting good picks on this pile of rubbish, Bucky Duck" Eddy boasted as he dusted his right nails against his armour; next to the lockpicks and dull knife tucked inside his belt "Leave it to a professional to do the job"

"She didn't break a single pick, dumbass" Sarah growled back as she backhanded him on the left cheek.

The slapping sound was followed by a particular click as May finally turned the keyhole 45 degrees to the left and unlocked the door. She entered the cell and found a coin purse behind the skeleton containing 11 coins; with another two grasped in its right hand. She also found an empty bowl and green glass bottle with nothing in it. Just as she was about to leave, she noticed something strange on the skeleton.

Behind her; the gang watched as she removed her knapsack and root through her belongings; her back preventing anyone from seeing what she was doing. Their curiosity was disrupted by Ralof as he rushed back from the passage and in front of the fire basin.

"Come on; the coast is clear" he informed them before going back down the hallway.


	11. Chapter 10

A/N: Please visit my profile for announcements and news on updates.

Ralof led them down another set of stairs into a room that looked worse than the last one, in more ways than one. The first was the cobwebs that covered all the corners and rubble from the crumbling walls littered the floor, but that was overshadowed by the two large circular cages that hung from the ceiling to their left. The glowing flames of a nearby fire basin and goat horn candle illuminated the skeleton in the first cage, lying on its back with its arms sticking out of the railings.

The second was even more ominous; as it held the body of a male Nord with shoulder length blonde hair dressed in roughspun clothes. Kneeling on the rail floor with its back against the bars, the female Stormcloak was holding his wrist. She lowered her head and the hand before turning to the gang, the caged victim lack of response indicating yet another fatality not too long ago.

"He was one of our newest recruits, joined up about a month ago. Disappeared on his first mission" she explained as she walked to the right side of the room while glaring at Hadvar.

The gang never said a word; their mouths were silent as they looked to the right to find an extended part of the room with even more cages, and skeletons. Some were hanging on the right side of the room, while others were on the ground on the left of the extension. Between the scenes of pain and despair were four central wooden pillars, behind which lay a door-sized hole with Ralof standing in front of, while the two rebels that were still alive stood on either side of him before the pile of bricks he stood upon.

"How on earth did you know there was a natural passage beyond that wall?" Edd asked bewilderedly as he rushed up to him.

"It's always been hidden. You just push the wall down and go into these caves. And when you recapture it, you just build it up again, keeps the prisoners here from planning an easy jail break" Ralof replied, before looking behind him "Though it seems the Imperials beat us to it"

"That Sergeant back at the store room did say there were more troops ahead" Sarah remembered, the gang becoming tense at the prospect of another fight.

"Let's take it easy" Hadvar advised, causing everyone to look back at him "Maybe if we act peacefully, they will let us pass without drawing blood"

"Or allow us to jump them" Marie added, clearly showing a grudge for the group that harmed her crush.

"Either way, we must be getting closer to the exit, so let's get keep moving" Kevin finished.

Nodding in favour, Ralof began to venture into the tunnel with Ardan, Kevin and the two rebels in tow. As the rest of the gang began to enter, Hadvar felt something run into his back. Turning around, he saw May had finally caught up with them after she finished scavenging the prison cell.

"What did I miss?" she asked, panting from her sprint down the stairs.

"Oh, just Ed proclaiming his undivided love for you; now get a move on!" Lee barked, dragging the female Wood Elf by her long blonde hair into the tunnel.

As they walked down the sloped path they noticed some old yellowish fire basins standing on wooden frames every few yards, indicating that someone had defiantly been through here before they arrived. The narrow walls meant they had to go one at a time down the twisted path, gradually the ground levelled and the walls began to widen.

"Look at that" Nazz spoke as she pointed at the brick wall at the end of the tunnel, which got everyone curious until they saw the stone arch to the left of that wall.

"We must be getting close" Ardan spoke as he, along with Kevin and Ralof continued to lead the gang towards the strange structure.

"Orders are to wait until General Tullius arrives"

The moment they heard the Imperial's voice from ahead of them, everything came to a halt. Ralof looked at them and placed his finger on his lips to indicate to them to keep quiet and follow him slowly, which they did. As they sneaked along the cave wall towards the arch; Ralof and his rebels readied themselves to ambush their foes ahead, as did the rest of the gang for fear it would turn as bloody as their previous confrontations.

"I'm not waiting to be killed by a dragon! We need to fall back" an impatient Imperial yelled from inside the unknown room, which gave a sparkle of hope for two individuals.

"This is our chance" Hadvar whispered ahead to the Stormcloaks "Maybe if we offer to pass through without raising our swords, they will let us through"

"We can avoid any unnecessary violence by communicating peacefully with them" Edd added.

"Just give the General some time" the patient Imperial they heard first assured.

"What do you see ahead?" Rolf asked quietly to Ralof.

The Nord looked over the corner and saw a large cavern with waterfalls on the wall he was looking down and the end of the room, both of which flowed into a shallow stream that headed to the right side of the room. Aside from that he also came across one legionnaire arguing with an Imperial in heavy armour, no denying he was the second Sergeant they heard about at the store room earlier. He also saw two more legionnaires patrolling the area, one at the left side of the room between two bridges that connected on either corner of the room that allowed people to walk over the flowing stream on a cobbled path. The other was at the far side of the room, watching the Sergeant and the impatient soldier arguing on the cave floor next to the shallow stream, connected to the cobbled upper level by a set of stairs at either side of the room. But there was something he saw that made him really worry.

"Three soldiers and a Sergeant" he replied quietly "They all have longbows"

"Bows?" Eddy asked.

The gang became nervous. Even though they outnumbered the Legion three to one; nobody liked the prospect of receiving an arrow through the neck, or anywhere the point would hit them at.

"I didn't join the legion to be killed by a dragon, never mind being sent to this wasteland as soon as I joined up last month, and neither do the rest of us either!" the impatient legionnaire shouted; causing everybody's ears to twitch curiously.

"Thank you, God, or whoever's up there" Ardan muttered to himself.

"A month's training? These guys don't stand a chance" the male Stormcloak boasted.

"All the more reason for them to not want a fight" Edd warned, causing everyone to look at him as if he was mad.

Plank grabbed him by the collar with both hands, brought them face to face, and said "Edd, they tried to fry you to death with lightning, who knows where their arrows might land"

"Then let's vote" Sarah insisted "All those in favour of walking out to them for a chat and letting them kill us?"

Hadvar and Edd were the first to raise their hands, as well as the only ones.

"All those in favour of attack first and ask questions later?" she called out quietly.

In no time, everyone else raised their hands in huge support. Even Jonny and Jimmy seem to approve the violent option; both admitting that talking with their unofficial enemy was out of the question.

"17 against 2, let's kick their asses" she smirked, her sword arm ready for action.

"But how?" Jimmy asked; which gave the gang a new problem.

"I've got a plan" Ardan suggested, causing everyone to look at him "It's a long shot, but it could work"

"Lay it down, man" Kevin nodded in agreement.

"Ok, you and Sarah will lead the attack over the bridges, your shield and heavy armour should be able to take any arrow hits without injury. Ralof, Jonny and Edd will follow you behind and assist you one your close enough to strike them down" he instructed.

"Me? But I don't even have a weapon" Edd asked frantically.

"You can heal yourself, can't you? Surely even you can cast a simple fireball with ease" the female Stormcloak assured him.

Edd pondered over her words for a second, before noticing a nearby fire basin and trying to manipulate the same effect in the palm of his right hand. After some hard concentration, his hand was instantly covered in an arcane flame. It burned furiously, yet it didn't burn his hand, or set fire to his robes.

"Anyway" Ardan continued "While you are dealing with the archers on the platforms, the rest of us will take out the Sergeant and his uncooperative underling. Once they're out of the way, we'll join you in finishing off any remaining archers"

"Sounds like a plan" Marie admitted.

"Rolf also agrees with the plan of action"

"All right everyone, be ready on my mark" Kevin declared as he began to make his way to the corner.

"Be careful, Kev" Nazz whispered as he left.

Once the rest of the first team were at the corner, they waited as the Sergeant made yet another attempt to calm down his disobedient soldier. When the moaner began to rant on about leaving, Kevin gave the signal.

"Now!" he yelled as he ran for his life towards the first bridge with Sarah at his side.

The archers were caught off guard and fumbled to get their bows off their backs. The one patrolling the bridges saw that they were moving too quickly towards him to take out from a distance, so instead he drew his sword and went to meet them in combat. He swung at Sarah, but Kevin intervened by standing between them and using his shield to take the full brunt with ease.

Realising the archer was staggered; Kevin swung his mace with all his might and hit the legionnaire's right side, causing him to trip over the bridge and into the stream head first. The sound of the Imperial's neck snapping under his own weight was replaced by the sound of arrows whizzing past the first team, as the archer from the other side of the room finally joined the fight from a distance.

Down by the river, the Sergeant and his impatient archer readied their swords to strike the more lightly armed members of the first team, when the second team emerged and went straight for them. Lead by Ardan and Rolf, they managed to drive them back down the stairs and toward the stream; with Ed, Eddy, Marie and the two rebels managing to surround them.

"Prepare to meet your breaker!" Ed cried as he swung at the archer, who managed to block the sword until he was hit in the lower torso by Marie's Imperial blade.

The Orc followed up by thrusting into the archer's chest, his strength allowing the iron sword to get inserted into his victim's heart and lungs. Thinking that he was no longer a threat while dying, Ed tried to remove his sword, only to find it stuck inside the ribcage.

While he was struggling, Marie went over to help the others fighting the Sergeant. Like his predecessor, he was well trained and was juggling between blocking and counterattacking, which he did well despite being heaving outnumbered. He expected the archer positioned at the far end of the room to aid him, but unknown to him, the novice legionnaire was trying to halt the advancement of team one as they crossed the second bridge. Three times he fired at them, and three times he kept hitting Kevin's shield, bouncing off the metal boss.

Once on the other side, the archer dashed for a doorway at the right side of the platform; where another archer was hiding with an arrow notched to his bowstring. Jonny quickly realised who the Imperial was aiming at and ran into Edd, pushing him of the way as the arrow's way and landing on the floor.

"Take cover!" he shouted as he quickly jumped back onto his feet and caught up behind Kevin, as did the rest of the team.

At the same time, the Sergeant was showing signs of fatigue, but he was still persistent on fighting for his life, even though he was now fully encircled. Marie decided to give him an Achilles' heel and drew her dagger out with her left the moment he turned around to deal with the female Stormcloak. Just as he swung, she rushed in as stabbed him in the left armpit while trying to grab onto his shoulder. He growled in pain as he elbowed her with his left arm onto her back and then tried to remove the dagger, his sword arm kept close to his side as he winced in pain.

Eddy, as usual, took advantage of the situation and swung his mace at the Sergeant's upper right arm, the collision against the metal breastplate causing his bone to shatter and his hand to drop his weapon. Screaming in pain, the Sergeant watched as the male Stormcloak swung his war hammer to the side of his face, the impact sent him falling down dead on his right side.

As the skull crushing sound echoed around the room, Edd was getting back onto his feet when he noticed a shiny purplish iridescent liquid spread along the cobblestone floor. It trailed along the wooden railing that kept people from falling into the cave floor below. He also realised that the two archers taking shots at his friends were standing right on it, their boots showing shiny streaks from all their sidestepping.

"_I hope I'm right about this_" he thought as he got his fire spell ready and steadied himself.

He focused his magicka into his right hand sent out flames towards the mysterious liquid, igniting it the moment it touched. In a second, the flame turned into a mix of purple and orange as it spread rapidly over the liquid and engulfed the unfortunate archers standing in it. As the fire began to climb up their legs, they threw their bows and quivers away as they desperately tried to undress themselves. Struggling to remove their armour, they abandoned their plan and jumped off the ledge into the stream. The Imperial's screaming startled team two as they realised what was going on. Even Hadvar was anxious enough to come on out to find his fellow legionnaires rolling in the water.

"Let's finish them!" Eddy rallied as he charged at the poor souls, looking for an easy kill.

Though disturbed by the Wood Elf's rather mean-spirited words, the rest of the gang sought to end the fight and thus followed him. Once quenched, the archers realised they were being encircled and drew their swords, ignoring the agony of simply moving their half-cooked arms.

Unbeknownst to them, the two Stormcloak rebels had stayed behind. Instead, they went up the stairs to the platform behind them and approached Hadvar, who was too busy watching the fight down in the stream.

When he noticed only two people in Stormcloak armour, Ralof and Ardan, he wondered what happened to the other two. The answer came when he looked to his right and caught a glimpse of something shiny heading straight for his head. Hadvar immediately dashed back to the bridge just as the war hammer swung down vertically, the spike at the top missing his nose by a hair.

"What are you doing!?" Hadvar asked as he drew his sword.

"We can't take any chances with you Legion dogs, even from a fellow Nord" the female Stormcloak replied, twirling her axe in her hand.

"Besides, what the Imperials don't know can help us. Maybe the thought of Ulfric Stormcloak summoning a dragon to save him and leave of the Emperor's men alive will scare them into leaving Skyrim for good" the male Stormcloak added as he recovered from his swing and readied himself.

"You traitors; don't you even know the legend? That thing will kill us all" Hadvar warned.

"Not when it faces true Nords like us" the female Stormcloak boasted "So stop being a milk-drinker and fight like a real warrior!"

Immediately Hadvar was set upon by the other two, trying to parry and counter their attacks. This was made more difficult due to the male rebel taking the offensive with his war hammer; while the female would intercept his sword with her shield and counter with her war axe. All this happened while the rest of the gang were busy taking out the archers in the stream, except for one.

Ed was still struggling to pull his sword out of the chest of the Imperial he killed earlier. Back in the cave, those who couldn't fight poked their heads around the corner and saw the struggle between the Imperials and their friends, before noticing Hadvar's struggle against the rebels.

"What are they doing?!" Nazz asked confusingly.

"Someone help; Hadvar is in danger!" Jimmy yelled, but no one noticed him over the clanging of metal echoing around the room, which put him into panic mode both physically and verbally.

"WE'VE BEEN BETRAYED!"

The Khajiit's scream startled Ed, who fell back as he finally managed to retrieve his sword from the corpse. Looking around, he noticed the two Stormcloaks from the torture room attacking Hadvar. All of a sudden, his blood began to boil and his eyes turned red as he grabbed the sword lying near the body next to him.

"You've broken the oath; now you shall pay the blood price!" he cried angrily as he ran up the stairs with a sword in each hand.

At the same time, the gang had just finished fighting the two archers when they heard the monstrous roar behind them. Turning their attention from looting the bodies of the Imperials they just killed, they saw Hadvar on the ground with the two rebels about to kill him. The Stormcloaks themselves were startled by the noise and turned around to find Ed charging towards them with a red haze in his eyes.

"By Ysmir, that beast is possessed!" the male Stormcloak yelled as he braced himself.

"Don't just stand there, kill it!" the female rebel shouted.

He shook in fear as the Orc got closer, but managed to keep his cool and time his swing just as Ed got into range raising his duel swords over his head. The war hammer struck the green-skinned brute, yet they heard no bones being crushed, or any cries of pain, or even any slowdown as he struck the male Stormcloak on both shoulders with both swords. As he fell on his back screaming in agony from his badly damaged collarbone, Ed turned to the female rebel who was swing her war axe towards him and hit him on the right shoulder with all her might. Once again, he didn't budge and simply growled at her.

"What the hell is going on?" Marie questioned as she watched the spectacle.

"Lumpy is an animal! Go finish them, Lothar!" Eddy cheered with a big smile on his face.

She stepped back fearfully as his breathing sped up, before yelling at the top of his voice as he rushed her swinging both swords horizontally. Raising her shield in front of her face, she braced herself as the Orc's left blade struck her hide-wrapped shield, followed by his right sword in the same direction landing on the circular board again, this time causing her to stagger back. But he didn't stop there, as he twirled while sidestepping behind her, his swords following him before curving downward and striking the back of her left leg. The blades sliced into the leggings before entering her thigh and shin, before curving upwards as Ed continued to twirl, his strength causing her leg be swiped forward and fall rapidly onto her back. As she tried to get up, she saw the Orc turning to face her while reversing his grip, so that his blades were pointing downwards as he raised them above his head.

Her eyes went wide as she realised her faith; trying to raise her shield to protect herself, but the Orc beat her to it when he stabbed both swords straight through the armour and into her lungs and heart.

"What's gotten into him?" Edd questioned, startled by his best friend's bloodlust.

"He's madder than a troll" Ralof commented.

As he easily withdrew his weapons from the now dead rebel, Ed turned to find the male Stormcloak shocked, and angered, at what he just did. In a fit of anger, the rebel retrieved his war hammer and readied himself, a look of fear and vengeance evident in his eyes.

"Victory, or Sovengarde!" he yelled as charged at the savage with his weapon at his side.

The Orc responded by a terrifying roar as he charged against the betrayer with a sword on either side pointing behind him. Just as he got in range, the male Stormcloak raised his two-handed weapon over his head and tried to hit him on the upper torso. But just at the last second, Ed made a sudden dash forward while spinning his swords forward as he got past the hammer as the rebel attacked. Before he noticed it, he felt a severe pain as the Orc impale both swords through either lung; penetrating the armour on both his chest and back.

Everyone watched in horror as Ed hoisted his victim into the air on both blades, allowing gravity to inflict further untold suffering to the poor soul as he coughed out blood behind the Orc. The madman then withdrew his swords from the victim so quickly, that he was still in the air as his killer dashed back. The body then dropped to the ground stone cold dead, a pool of blood forming around it. Ed breathed heavily as he stood between the two fresh bodies cladded in blue sashes, Hadvar still on the ground as he witnessed the short vicious brawl that happened in front of him. Ed took a deep breath, causing everyone in the room and cave to block their ears for the imminent victory cry.

But suddenly, Ed felt his blood cool down, his anger disappearing, his rage calming down, and his eyes returning to normal, before dropping both of his bloodied swords and rubbing his head.

"I feel weird" he moaned grudgingly as he began to stumble around as if he was dizzy, yet managed to avoid tripping on the bodies around him.

Hadvar had stood up and approached the confused Orc, helping him stand steady as Jimmy and the others exited the cave and entered the room.

"Oh merciful heavens; you're both safe" the Khajiit panted as he hugged the two warriors.

"Dude, are you ok?" Plank asked as he examined the exhausted Orsimer leaning on the Nord soldier.

"That's my hero!" May cried happily as she ran into him; knocking Jimmy and Hadvar out of the way.

Ed remained unresponsive to her actions as he wiped his eyes and looked to his left. There he found the rest of the gang walking quickly over the bridges, one of whom had a nasty scowl on his face.

"What in the name of the gods have you done?!" Ralof yelled as he marched ahead of them and grabbed Ed roughly on the shoulders.

"Which one would that be?" the Orc asked back dimly; causing the only rebel still alive to let go in frustration.

"Why did you kill them, Ed?" Jonny asked; pointing at the corpses.

"But they attacked Hadvar; even after they said they wouldn't" he answered.

This left the gang confused, as well as doubtful about what he said actually happened.

"It's true!" May chimed "We heard them arguing before they tried to kill him"

It was just as she finished her words that Ed finally noticed the blonde Wood Elf hugging him, yet rather scream and run in fear, he slowly grabbed her hands and gently got her to let go and stand beside her at a normal distance, his attention focused on seeing the true story of his actions told.

"Yeah, we saw those two attacked him out of nowhere while you lot were busy" Lee added as she moved her hand in the direction of Plank, Nazz and Jimmy; who nodded in agreement.

"Why would they that?" Ardan queried.

"Because they wanted to claim that Ulfric summoned the dragon to attack here and save him, leaving no legionnaire survivors" Hadvar replied.

"You speak blasphemy, even Ulfric would choose death before calling on one of those monsters to his aid" Ralof stated angrily as he stood face to face with him.

"Given how easily you surrendered, I wouldn't be surprised if you did" he remarked.

Just as they thought bloodshed would once again take place, the two noticed Edd suddenly standing to their side as he feebly tried to push them apart. His odd appearance, rather than his physical strength; allowed him to grab their attention.

"Gentleman, please; I know this is controversial in the highest order within your traditions and beliefs, but need I remind you that the very blasphemous creature you speak of is causing this structure to fall apart?"

Just as the Breton finished his words, they heard an even fainter shrill of a roar from outside that shook the ground faintly. Dust and even tiny bits of rock tumbled off the walls as the vibrations faded away.

"The soon we get out of here, the sooner we can leave" Eddy argued as he waved to the rest of the gang "And the sooner you two can go knock the crap out of each other, or go home" pointing at the two opposing fighters.

Almost immediately, the gang worried that the loud-mouthed Bosmer had made things worse with his remarks, but surprisingly, Ralof stood back.

"Fine," he sighed, before looking sternly at Hadvar "But once we get out, I'll take you out if you even reach for your sword.

"As will I" Hadvar assured him.

"Well, now that's settled, I'm going to get dressed" Plank said as he walked down the stairs towards the singed archers lying next to the river and began looting the body.

"And I'm going for a drink" Eddy spoke as he ran down the steps and over to the water fall on the left side of the room.

"And I'm going to check your wounds, mister" Edd declared sternly as he removed the knapsack from his back "Ed, please remove your armour"

"Okay" he responded and in a less than a second, he was undressed apart from his loincloth and had tossed his gear towards May.

The blonde Kanker had no time to react when his weapons and armour landed before her feet. Apart from his helmet, which landed on her head bond style and spun until it stopped sideways, covering half of her blushed face.

"Ed! I didn't say 'remove all your armour'" Ed complained as the Orc stared at him half-wittingly.

"You're on your own for this one, Double D" Nazz remarked as she and Kevin walked over to the dead Sergeant and his disapproving archer.

"Same here" Marie stated as she walked over to the ledge and jumped down to the cave floor, and then looked back up "Come on, Lee; let's get you something good to wear"

"Oh, what a selection we have here" Lee answered back sarcastically as she approached the ledge, stopping to look back at the near naked Orc standing behind her "Not bad; Hercules"

She hopped down and helped Marie drag the Imperial soldier Kevin killed at the bridge onto more level ground and immediately started undressing the corpse.

"I'm going to help Plank out" Jonny said as he ran over to help the Argonian strip the other badly burned archer of its possessions.

"No need for us to disturb you" Rolf assured as he and Ardan each pulled the two dead rebels away from the two Eds, passing a silent May before stopping at the top of the stairs and began removing the corpses of their gear.

"I'm going to see if the way is clear up ahead" Ralof observed as he looked with intrigue at the hallway on the right side of room, the same one that the unknown archer tried to counter their ambush.

He was about to move when he felt a hand gripping his shoulder. Looking to his left, he saw Hadvar with a stern look on his face.

"It's not safe to go alone" he advised, which made the Nord rebel cautious over his opponent's 'friendly' gesture.

They stared at each other sharply until they both felt a hand on their shoulders, both of which belonged to the redheaded Imperial clad in metal armour.

"Neither is leaving you two on your own" Sarah Added with an even sterner look on her face.

Not wanting to anger the only thing on Nirn that has an even worse temper than a daedra, Hadvar and Ralof began walking over the bridges with Sarah not far behind. Jimmy started following her, but was halted when she held her hand in front of him.

"You're not going anywhere until you get some armour, mister" she dictated as she waved her finger in a motherly manner.

Jimmy looked back and noticed that Ardan and Rolf had worked together to loot the body of the male rebel of its armour. He shivered when as he watched the blood drip slowly from the holes inflicted earlier.

"I can't were that filthy outfit" he complained.

"Of course you can, Fluffy; Rolf will simply use that poor man's shirt you're wearing to clean off the blood"

"Besides; do you want to wear that burnt set over there?" Ardan explained as he pointed towards Plank, who was almost fully dressed from head to toe in the slightly seared armour from one of the dead archers, with a spare lying next to Jonny as he helped his friend.

Seeing that wearing something that was both bloody and smelly as the greater of two evils, Jimmy went over to them and removed his knapsack; followed by his roughspun shirt, before handing it over to Rolf. Sarah blushed when she saw her best friend's furry chest, but was brought back to reality when she realised that Ralof and Hadvar had already reached the other side of the room. As she ran off, Edd turned to the Orc who stood haplessly with a blank look on his face.

"Oh well, guess it's just you and me, Ed" Edd sighed as he rubbed eyes in frustration before turning back to him "Raise your arm"

Ed instead lifted both arms to a level position outwardly, leaving his sides exposed. Ignoring his friend's lack of brainpower, Edd stepped between the streaks and pools of blood left by the rebels. He checked the first injury Ed suffered in his rage-induced fight, the left side of his torso. Although Ed was stronger than most people, he wasn't invincible. Yet, Ed found something else as he pressed his fingers against the Orc's side.

"_Strange. Such a strike with a blunt object should break the ribcage, yet I can't find any evidence of a fracture nonetheless_" he thought as he noticed the purple mark on his skin "_He takes a fierce blow to the side and is left with nothing but a bruise!"_

Putting it aside; Edd moved his attention to the Orc's second injury on his right shoulder with the same procedure.

"_And again, I mean; the collarbone is the most vulnerable bone in a humanoid body!_" he exclaimed mentally; before checking the skin "_And another bruise? He took a hammer and an axe to the weakest bones in his body and comes out with nothing but bruises?!_" he stood back and placed his hand under his chin while staring at his best friend as he smirked irrelevantly at him "_Something isn't right here_"

"Can I put my clothes back on, Double D?" Ed questioned, knocking the male Breton back into reality.

"Oh, sorry; go ahead…"

He stopped speaking when he looked left and found Ed's armour and weapons gone; along with a particular female Bosmer.

"Hey; where's May?" Marie asked out loud.

The two Eds noticed remaining Kankers heading up the stairs onto their platform, with Lee carrying her freshly looted attire.

This also alerted Jimmy, Ardan and Rolf; who joined them in turning their heads in every direction in search for May, but to no avail.

"Ahh…It still feels warm"

Following their ears, they found the female Bosmer in question slowly walking around the corner into the room wearing Ed's armour, helmet and boots; while carrying his weapons in her hands as she hugged herself.

"Why are you wearing that ugly brute's armour?" Lee asked teasingly.

"That 'ugly brute' is the one who proclaimed his love to me; if you've already forgotten" May answered back; before looking back at Ed with dreamy eyes.

Lee looked at her for a minute, then shrugged her shoulders "Whatever makes you happy, May" she remarked as she and Marie went into the cave "_airhead; he, he, he_"

"Now what's Ed going to wear?" Edd questioned; knowing that the Orc still had personal issues with girls; especially May.

"Don't worry, Ed" Nazz responded.

Looking down at the river floor, they saw her and Kevin walking up the stairs to the platform; each with a set of armour and weapons in their hands.

"Found something much better than that pigskin you were wearing earlier, Lothar" Kevin added as he walked over to the two Eds with a spare set of heavy armour and weapons in his hands.

"Why thank you, Kevin" Edd replied sincerely as he reached over to take the equipment from Kevin, only to drop in a crouched position the moment the hefty armour was left in his hands.

While Kevin and Edd helped Ed get dressed, Nazz went back into the cave to get changed into her new light armour. Meanwhile, Rolf hand managed to wipe the blood away from the inside of Jimmy's new armour and handed it to him, but the Khajiit stood still.

"Well, get dressed" Rolf exclaimed as he tossed the blood-soaked shirt at the wall.

"But I can't dress out in the open!" Jimmy shrieked as he looked around for some kind of cover for him to get changed.

Ardan noticed Sarah return from the hallway at the right side of the room, followed by Hadvar and Ralof who seemed to be discussing what they may have found in there.

"Why don't you get dressed over there; seems there isn't anything dangerous by their looks" he advised; pointing at the redhead Imperial in particular.

Jimmy suddenly ran down the stairs towards the other end of the room with armour in hand; too fast for Rolf to realise that he didn't retrieve a weapon. He put it aside as he and Ardan began to undress the female rebel of her armour. The Irishman saw that she was wearing furry gauntlets on her hands; which he took off first and began fitting them onto his hands. Seeing that they fit the pun; he continued until they recovered her armour and fur boots; before gathering her weapons. Aside from the Iron war axe, they took a particular note of her shield. Unlike Kevin's; it was made of a lighter wood and covered in animal hide, held together by the boss and a ring of studs around it.

"This tool is too unwieldy for Fluffy to handle" Rolf explained as he put the axe aside and turned his attention to the shield Ardan held up "That looks more suited for someone who is fast rather than strong"

"Let's wait for the others to decide, but this" Ardan said as he went over and hoisted the large war hammer left by the male rebel "is definitely something Ed would find useful"

"Rolf agrees"

Looking behind them; they saw the Orc clad in his new Imperial heavy armour, gauntlets and boots with an Iron dagger and Imperial blade hanging off his left hip. Ardan went over to them with the war hammer, while Rolf began folding the leftover Stormcloak armour and weapons into a small pile.

"All set, Ed?" Edd asked as he stood back and admired his friend's new apparel.

"Bar the helmet, Double D" the Orc replied.

"Don't know how much use that would be" Kevin commented when he saw Ardan move up to Ed and presented him with the weapon, resting in its back holster.

"Here you go, Ed; a proper weapon for smashing stuff up" he stated as he held the two-handed weapon before him.

Ed slowly retrieved the heavy weapon and stared at it; before trying to get the back harness over his shoulders. While Edd assisted him until it was in the right position, Jimmy was coming out of the hallway with Sarah; dressed in Stormcloak armour, his Imperial light helmet, fur gauntlets and fur boots; both of which felt odd as they rubbed against his body.

"So where's your weapon?" Sarah questioned as the watched Eddy drinking water from the waterfall at the left side of the room.

"All they had over there were heavy axes and hammers, Sarah; I can't fight with those" the Khajiit replied as he joined her.

"How about a sword, I have a spare one here" Plank asked as he walked up the stairs; dressed in his singed Imperial light armour, helmet, gauntlets and boots; along with an iron dagger hanging off his left hip and two Imperial swords; one with the dagger at his hip, and the other in his right hand; complete with sheath.

"Oh, thank you, Plank" Jimmy replied as he accepted the weapon, which didn't cause him to fall under its weight.

Sarah noticed Jonny walking up the stairs with the second burnt set of Imperial light armour, along with an Imperial sword and iron dagger in his hands; when he noticed something and dashed for it, and again, and again, and again.

"What's that chipmunk doing now?" Sarah questioned as he returned to them.

"I found those mean guy's bows and arrows" Jonny announced as he approached them with two wooden longbows and two leather quivers containing some arrows "They must've dropped them when Double D set them alight"

As he was fitting the Imperial sword's sheath to his belt, Jimmy noticed the black scare that remained of the strange liquid that resulted in the Imperial archer's demise.

"What was that stuff Double D set on fire?" he questioned.

"Lantern oil" Hadvar replied, causing him and the others around him to turn their attention to the Nord soldier and his rebel counterpart.

"It's brighter and lasts longer than candles, but it's hard to find and only used in places the sun can't reach; such as mines" Ralof added.

Back at the other side of the room, Eddy had just finished quenching his thirst under the waterfall and returned up the stairs with his eyes closed in relaxation.

"So; what did I miss?" he bragged as he got to the top of the platform and looked around.

Although he was indifferent as to why Ed was wearing heavy armour and May was fastening two familiarly bloody blades to the belt of her light armour, he was just in time to see Nazz and Lee appear in their new sets of Imperial light armour.

"What ya think, Eddy?" the Altmer taunted as she approached him, but he simply ignored her and focused on the blonde Breton.

"Looking good, Nazz" he commented.

"Hey, that's my line!" Kevin complained as he approached his girlfriend.

"Script Error!" Ed blurted.

"Pardon me, Nazz," Edd questioned nervously, which Marie caught as she peered around the corner "but how many arrows do you have in your possession?"

"Twelve" she replied.

"Same here" Lee added as she held her own quiver up for everyone to see.

"Whatever" Marie interrupted as she marched through the crowd and down the stairs "Let's go"

Deciding not to annoy the blue-headed Kanker, they gathered their belongings and made their way across the shallow stream to the other side of the room. As they joined up with the others, Kevin stepped to into the centre and gained their attention.

"Right, if anybody has any spare armour or weapons; drop them here" he ordered as he pointed to the ground near his feet; resulting in everyone dropping their random loot directly onto his feet "Youch!"

As Kevin hopped around while grasping his left foot, Edd began to mentally catalogue the items of war they have recovered.

"Hmm... one full set of Imperial leather armour, some Stormcloak armour, fur boots, two daggers, two swords of a different make, one war axe, one light shield, iron four longbows and four quivers containing 12 arrows" he listed before looking back at the crowd around him "If anyone thinks they can put it to good use; they are free to do so"

After his words, Jonny went in and took up the leather-clad shield and fixed it onto his left arm. He smiled as he found it to be lighter than he thought and went back into the circle. Ardan swallowed his spit and reached for the Imperial light helmet left behind by one of the scorched archers; though he was grateful that it suffered the least disgusting damage from the fire. When no one moved for a minute, Edd continued.

"Ok; now who is skilled in at using bows?" Kevin questioned as he limped back towards them.

"I nominate Shorty" Lee suggested as she pointed at her crush next to the Eds.

"Hey!" Eddy growled.

"Actually, Eddy; Wood Elves are naturally talented at using the bow" Edd informed him.

"Isn't the blonde Kanker a tree fairy as well?" Rolf questioned as he pointed at May.

"Well, that's half of the bows and arrows sorted" Kevin declared smugly as he handed both of them a longbow and quiver "Anyone else?"

"I'll give it a shot" Jonny volunteered.

"What about bonehead there" Eddy proposed; catching everyone by surprise.

"Now that I think about it, Ed has shown substantial talent with kinetically-powered weapons in our past deeds" Edd mused.

"Any objections?" Kevin asked, and when no one gave a peep, he handed the last two bows to the Redguard and the Orc "That's sorted; now we need someone to carry this stuff?"

"Not me!" everyone else yelled, until a few seconds later someone finally gave in.

"Fine, but only until we get to safety" Plank sighed as he went over to the pile "And don't think I'm going to let you have all the fighting"

"Here, let us help you with that" Ardan said as he went over to the reptilian's aid, followed by Rolf and Jonny.

While everyone else was busy gathering their bags and equipping their new weapons; Kevin, Edd, Nazz, Sarah, Jimmy, Lee, Marie, Hadvar and Ralof gathered at the entrance to the hallway.

"So, how did your scouting expedition go?" Edd questioned.

"Not well" Sarah replied blankly.

"What happened?" Marie queried.

"There is a wooden wall blocking the way" Ralof answered.

"But we did find a lever up ahead. Could be a trap though" Hadvar warned.

"Who's going to pull it then?" Lee asked.

The group looked down the hallway; the few candles that brightened the way towards the aforementioned wooden structure and it's rather noticeable lever on the floor. Troubled by the thought of dying a horrible death; Edd, Sarah and Jimmy had the answer.

"Let's get Ed to do it" they said; which surprised everyone apart from Kevin, Lee and Marie.

"Fair enough" Marie agreed.

"When in doubt; send in someone who isn't" Kevin noted.

"All right everyone; get your butts moving!" Sarah yelled as she began rounding up everyone who was standing idle.

Meanwhile, Plank was hoisting a harness composed of spare belts over his shoulders; his back carrying the spare armour folded neatly and tightly together to any loss during travel. The weapons were coupled together beneath the armour to make it easier for the Argonian to carry.

Eventually, Sarah herded everyone into the hallway and got to the dead end board with its mysterious lever. They stood silent for a minute until Edd finally gave the order to the gullible Orc.

"Ed, would you do the honours?" he asked politely while holding his hand towards the mechanism.

"I'm on the Queen's list, Double D?" Ed gasped, his imagination once again over riding what rational though existed in his head.

As Edd stood baffled by his answer, Jimmy decided to use it to their advantage.

"Of course, Ed; all you have to do is pull this lever, and you'll be knighted" the Khajiit coaxed as he fed the fire inside the Orsimer that was rivalled only by his own rage.

"I walk into the annals of history as a defender of the realm!" Ed proclaimed as he marched forward and pulled the lever in the direction of the wooden wall, the gang ready to run out in fear of the worst.

The sound of clicking gears lasted for just a second, and by the second the wooden wall fell away from them, banging against the ground of what appeared to be the rest of the hallway, a bright light shining on the ground before them. Ralof and Hadvar pushed into the front and looked at the wooden wall turned floor.

"A bridge; should've guessed" Ralof concluded while slamming his fist in his hand.

"Too late for that" Ardan remarked as he walked onto the bridge and looked up "I can see the sun!"

"You found a way out?!" May yelled in joy as she ran up beside him, as did the rest of the gang.

Looking up, they saw a hole with the sun shining directly onto them. The walls were damp and moss was growing around the edge. It looked like a way out, but there was a problem.

"How are we going to get up there?" Nazz asked.

"The walls are too sooth. Even I can't scale up that" Jonny doubted.

"Come on, we're almost there!" Eddy complained, and then started jumping as high as he could.

Edd became nervous as the male Bosmer continued his futile attempt to freedom "Eddy, as much as I am in favour of escaping this claustrophobic enclosure, I'm worried-"

"Well stop worrying then!" he responded irritably, but stopped when they heard a loud crack.

The gang looked around, until they pointed their heads downwards and heard the floor creak and bend.

"This bridge is unable to handle our combined weight. Run for it!" Rolf cried, causing everyone to stampede out into the unexplored half of the hallway.

Just then; the ground shook as the dragon outside the cave roared yet again. Jonny was at the back of the crowd when heard something tumble down the hole above him. At the last second; he pushed the gang forward and barely set foot on the cobbled floor when a large rock crashed onto the bridge and destroyed the wooden floorboards. The impact caused Jonny to slip and flail his arms as he lost his balance, falling backwards into the gap where the bridge used to be.

Years of tree-climbing kicked in as he flipped so that his feet were pointing downwards. Almost instantly; he saw what must have been the boulder that resulted in his current predicament. But without breaking a sweat, he landed on top of the large rock and managed to stand upon it. Once the tremors stopped, he found himself in a small pit filled with what was left of the bridge, shredded all over the place, and when he looked up he found himself in yet another problem.

"Where's Jonny gone?" Plank called out.

"Is he dead?" Jimmy questioned worriedly.

"Not yet!" the Redguard answered back, which led to the two beastfolk members of the gang to gather at the ledge.

"That a boy, are you alright?" Plank asked cheerfully, relieved that his best friend was safe.

"Nothing I can't handle" he responded, but stopped talking when he noticed something to his left.

"Don't worry, we'll get a rope, or something" Jimmy assured him, although both of them were unsure where they would get it.

"No problem, there's a tunnel down here leading to a stream" Jonny replied as he focused his eyes on the small cave that offered his freedom.

"If you're sure, then go ahead. See you on the other side" Planked agreed as he went back to the gang, with Jimmy following him as soon as he saw Jonny go on his own mini-venture.

Back at the other end of the hall, the gang waited anxiously for the rescue of the Redguard. But when they only saw Plank and Jimmy come back to them, they began to worry even more.

"Where's Jonny the Woodboy?" Rolf asked.

"We can't get him out of the hole" Jimmy replied.

"But he said he found a tunnel leading to the stream we saw earlier" Plank added.

"How can we be sure it will join up with us further on in this cave" Edd queried.

The response came when Ed tapped the male Breton on the shoulder and pointed behind him and the rest of the gang.

What greeted them was yet another waterfall caressing down the walls of another large cave, the blue liquid forming a river to their right and traveling the full extent of the cave to the other side of the room to their left. From high above the cobblestone platform they noticed a fiery glow from two fire basins standing on either side of a set of stairs leading down to the cave floor where the river was. The opposite end of the room was lit by another hole in the ceiling; much too small to fit through, yet still enough to provide a decent amount of illumination.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Marie insisted as she travelled down the stairs and explored the room.

As they walked down the steps, the gang looked around for another passage to freedom. Edd; however, wasn't.

"Amazing;" he spoke in awe as he examined the waterfall "sure the people who built this place clearly put the security of clean water on their list when locating a suitable location to construct long-term fortifications.

His words gained everyone's attention, as he followed the flow of water as it travelled into a tunnel in front of him.

"Do you think if we follow these rivers, we'll find a way out?" Sarah asked.

"Works for me"

Edd's answer was interrupted when they noticed someone step over the bent railing of a stream that flowed into the river on their left. The person's uniquely shaped head easily gave away who it was.

"Jonny!" they cried as they watched him approach the awaiting crowd with his right arm full of odd stuff.

"What's that you've got there?" Marie asked as the gang finished patting him on the shoulder.

"Just a brown bag, a red bottle and this lantern" Jonny replied as he held up a coin purse, a red vial and a metal-framed box.

"Well done, Jonny; I'll carry them for you" Edd congratulated him as he removed his knapsack from his back.

"Thanks, Double D" Jonny responded as he gave the items to him, and then ran into the cave they noticed earlier "Now, let's get cracking!"


	12. Chapter 11

A/N: Please visit my profile for announcements and news on updates.

As Jonny enthusiastically led the gang into the tunnel, they noticed that the river covered most of the cave floor. Edd saw this as a problem, not only because the low temperature water can easily allow a human to catch a cold, but also because he realised that his footwraps wouldn't last long in long distances while submerged. Thankfully, the answer came to him in the form of a shoulder tap; followed by a pair of fur boots being held up to him by the gang's self-appointed spare gear carrier.

"Goodness; thank you so much, Plank" Edd stated as he accepted the animal-skinned footwear and began removing his ragged footwraps.

"No problem; less stuff for me to carry" Plank responded happily as he walked into the tunnel.

Up ahead; Jonny and Kevin were leading the way, picking their steps in the rock-strewn river to avoid twisting their ankles. They went on and on until they found the river disappearing into a tunnel far too small for anyone to fit in.

"Well, that led nowhere" Kevin stated.

"Are you as blind as a bat, Kevin?" Jonny responded as he turned around to face him "We're not meant to follow the river all the time"

The Redguard pointed to a joint tunnel at the gang's right side. The ground was dry and illuminated by a lantern perched on a rocky ledge where the two tunnels meet as well as some dusty bones, and there was something else that caught someone's eye.

"Money!" Eddy yelled as he pushed his way through the crowd, but fell down on his face in the dry dirt "OOF!" he looked up and saw the culprit to be a male Imperial with blue hair with his leg sticking out "Rolf!"

"Silence you blabbermouth; listen" Rolf whispered as he held his hand to his ear.

Before Eddy could utter a word, they heard the howling wind that echoed throughout their journey inside the fort and its network of caves. This time, however, the noise was louder and more pronounceable, as well as colder.

"We're getting close" Rolf announced as he grabbed the lantern and held it in the direction of the dry tunnel "Fluffy, Rolf requires your assistance"

While everyone was full of hope, Eddy was full of greed as he got back up; just as Jimmy ran past him. When he looked up, he found his beloved coin purse no longer where it should be.

"What the-" he spluttered as he looked around, before finding the Khajiit packing the leather pouch into his knapsack "That's mine! I found it!"

Just then, Eddy was pulled by the collar and found himself face-to-face with Sarah, her angry look made him squirm in fear.

"Ugh...go ahead; keep it" he whimpered.

Sarah gave an evil smirk, before letting go of the frightened Wood Elf and joining up with her best friend.

"Can we get a move on here? My legs are falling asleep here" Lee complained.

While the elder Kanker was yapping away and the gang were trying to continue moving, Marie noticed something.

"Hey, where's May?" the female Dunmer asked as she looked around, and noticed another thing "_And Edd?_"

After ensuring that his new boots were secure, Edd felt something bumped into his back. He turned around and found May rubbing her nose with her eyes closed. When she opened her eyes, she saw a faint blush on the male Breton's face; which quickly disappeared.

"What's wrong, May?" he asked in a helpful manner; bringing her back to attention.

"Oh, sorry, Double D" she replied rapidly, before running into the tunnel.

Normally Edd would try to investigate why she was running when she was clearly at the back of the group along with her sisters. But he quickly noticed that everyone had gone into the tunnel; causing him to panic at being left behind, he quickly went after them.

"What kept ya, May?" Lee queried as she saw the female Bosmer run towards them.

"Nothing" she replied as she stopped to catch her breath.

Edd soon followed as he managed to pick the best stones to step on to avoid breaking his fragile feet.

"Curse my pitiful physic" he groaned as he stopped to get a breather.

When Edd looked up, he found himself face-to-face with the Kankers, all three of them.

"Oh, h-h-hello" Edd stuttered, his heart rate now double what it was from his river-hopping exercise earlier.

"What ya two doing back there?" Lee taunted as she looked between the male Breton and the female Bosmer.

Edd was confused by the Altmer's action, until he remembered that embarrassing Valentine's Day when he was somehow ended up being acting in affection towards May. He stood up straight and got ready to end such rumours when someone beat him to it.

"I was just checking that tunnel Jonny was in to see if he missed anything" May clarified as she reached into her knapsack and pulled out 7 gold coins.

Thankfully for the both of them, Lee seemed convinced with her blonde sister's explanation. Marie on the other hand, didn't look convinced, but she simply shrugged her shoulders and headed into the dry tunnel without saying a word. Though they found her response unusual, they followed suit and caught up with the gang as they made the far end of the tunnel and made a left turn.

000

The gang followed their self-appointed guides down a steep slope into a large cave decorated in massive cobwebs from the ground to the ceiling. Rolf's lantern could only do so much to illuminate the dank surroundings, which made everyone feel uneasy.

"I don't like the look of this" Ralof stated as he made his way to the front.

"Oh aren't we all, Sherlock" Marie grumbled as she pushed him aside and stood at the front of the gang.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of footsteps; far too many for them to count. From behind the three pillars around the cave, they saw three big spiders wonder out into the open. They were the size of a dog; not counting the legs, and were aware of their presence.

"Do you think they don't eat humans?" Nazz asked quietly.

They then heard the creatures hiss and ooze light blue liquid from their fangs.

"Does that answer your question?" Ardan answered back as he quietly tried to unsheathe his battle axe.

All hell broke loose when they saw the spiders spit head-sized globs of goo at them. Everyone dived to the ground except Kevin and Jonny; who were able to absorb two of the globs with their shields, while the last one flew above them out of shot.

They drew their weapons and were about to charge at their arachnid foes, when they felt a sharp pain on their upper left arm. They found the spider goo had managed to get splattered over the top of their shields, resulting in some of the venom landing on their exposed arms and inflicting pain and fatigue on their targets.

"Man, that stings" Kevin hissed as he fell on one knee, the goo's effects already making him feel exhausted.

Jonny was still standing and in better condition that the heavily armed Nord next to him, but he wasn't in condition to fight the two spiders that were approaching him.

"I could use some help here, Plank!" Jonny cried.

Plank jumped up and responded, as he dropped the loot on his back and with war axe and sword at hand, he rushed to his best friend's aid. Soon the rest of the gang immediately got up and joined the fight, except for Nazz; who saw the third spider slowly approaching her weakened boyfriend expecting an easy meal. Unable to speak, the blonde Breton screamed in anger as she drew her sword and charged at the poisonous insect.

Kevin was startled by his girlfriend's gallant action, but when he heard that familiar gargle from the spider in front him, along with the creature aiming its jaws just above him, he knew she was in danger. Unwilling to let his weak state render him useless, he stepped up and swung his mace upward; hitting the spider right between the fangs. The creature stumbled backwards, allowing Nazz to close in and slash its front left leg. But the blade got caught and the spider pushed her backwards onto the ground, which didn't make Kevin happy.

"Die you fly-eating freak!" he yelled as he delivered a crushing blow on the front right leg, followed by downward strike on the left set of eyes; the flange piercing deep into its skull.

It screeched in pain, even as he withdrew his weapon, allowing black blood to spurt out. Kevin dashed back as the creature flailed around with blood pumping out of its head, before dropping on its belly. The blood slowed down to a trickle; indicating that it was dead. Nazz got back up just in time to find the spider silent, before hearing Kevin groan in pain and fell to the ground.

"Kevin!" she cried, dropping her sword as she ran over to his side and knelt at his side, checking his pulse.

Meanwhile, Jonny and Plank were aided by the rest of the crew, their numbers allowing them to land multiple blows on the two remaining spiders. Edd killed the first one with a downward blow on the torso with his war hammer; while Plank managed to catch the other one off-guard and swing his war axe right between the two sets of eyes, killing it instantly.

"Finally, I got some action" Plank panted as he went over to retrieve his improvised loot backpack.

"Is everyone alright?" Rolf called out, gasping for air along with everyone else.

"Kevin needs help!" Nazz shouted, causing everyone to look in her direction.

Upon seeing him lying unconscious on his back, everyone gathered around him as Nazz tucked her knapsack under his head, while Edd ran in and knelt down next to him. He lifted up Kevin's hand and placed his fingers on his wrist.

"Not good. His pulse is dangerously low" Edd pronounced.

"I already did that. Can't you heal him with one of those potions?" she asked, desperately hoping to save him.

"I don't know. I might not even have the right remedy to cure him from spider venom" Edd replied as he took off his knapsack and began examining his collection of red, blue and green vials.

Hadvar and Ralof went over and checked Kevin's face and left arm.

"He'll be fine. Should be worn off in a few seconds" Hadvar assured them.

"What?" Nazz asked.

"Ugh"

Looking down, she saw her boyfriend open his eyes and rub his head as he sat up.

"Dam that smarts" he groaned as he rubbed his arm, which now had a red sore where the venom used to be.

"Kevin!" she screamed in joy as she hugged him, his armour preventing her from limiting his air supply.

"What are these Specimens?" Edd questioned to the two opposing Nords.

"Frostbite Spiders. Their venom can drain a man of their stamina and health, hence the name. It's far weaker if they spit at you rather than bite you" Ralof explained.

"Thanks' for the late warning" Lee said sarcastically.

"Wait" Kevin groaned as he was helped back onto his feet by Nazz and Edd "How come Jonny didn't faint from that stuff?"

"Well, Redguards are naturally resistant to poisons" Edd stated.

"But how, Jonny was hurt?" Ed asked.

"Being resistant to something means you're able to ignore some of the effects, but not all" he concluded.

"Then how come he called for help?" Sarah questioned.

"You think I'd face those monsters on my own? Besides, I couldn't let Plank not get a piece of the action" Jonny answered as he put his arm around the reptilian's shoulder.

"Can we please get out of here? I don't want to see any big spiders again" Jimmy pleaded as he tried to pull Sarah along with him, but to no avail.

Just then, they heard the same hissing sound again.

"Um, guys, we have a bigger problem" Eddy muttered.

Turning around, they saw the male Bosmer looking anxiously at two large holes in the ceiling ahead of them. Suddenly, two more spiders' abseiled down from the ceiling, their silk thread allowing them to land softly onto the ground. They were the size of a bull, and even more angry than the more aggressive than the smaller ones.

"Rolf thinks we put down their babies"

"Not helping, dude" Kevin growled as he readied himself.

The spiders snarled at them and began to gargle. Kevin, Sarah, Ardan, Marie, Ed, Rolf, Plank, Jonny, Hadvar and Ralof ducked behind the pillars for cover or dived to the ground, while the others retreated back into the tunnel as the globs of venom started flying around the cave.

Hadvar was lying on his belly when he saw an old shield with iron boss covered in cobwebs and dust. Hoping it wouldn't disintegrate the moment he touched it, he dashed over and ripped it out of its silk prison before running for the pillar for cover. Thankfully, it was still intact and he placed his left arm in the armband and held onto the handle as he moved towards the giant arachnids.

"Is he crazy?" Sarah blurted as they watched him slowly approach them.

"That guy's looking for a death sentence" Marie muttered.

The giant spider swiped at Hadvar with its massive front legs, but his shield blocked its attacks. When the creature stood on its back legs ready to pounce on him, he dashed in and bashed his shield into its mandibles before he slashed his sword at the creature's belly. Wailing in pain and anger, the creature stumbled back as Hadvar stood at the ready.

"Hey, Hadvar's beating that thing" Kevin called out.

Everyone, both in the cave and the tunnel, watched in shock as the Nord soldier kept using the same tactic against the giant spider. Despite this, they could tell that even he couldn't handle this on his own, and the spider's companion was closing in on him.

"Come, we must assist our protector!" Rolf yelled as he ran over to Hadvar.

Immediately; Marie, Jonny and Plank followed the blue-haired Imperial. Meanwhile; Kevin, Ed, Ardan and Sarah went over to keep the other giant arachnid occupied from assisting its kin.

Back in the tunnel, May watched the fight hidden around the corner. Kevin and Jonny took some risky moves, but with the others attacking the spider's legs they managed to copy Hadvar's shield bash combo and wear the spider down. Then suddenly, the monster charged into them, pushing everyone onto the ground, and headed straight for Ed.

"_Oh no!_" she screamed mentally, realising that she wouldn't make it in time is she simply charged to the rescue.

Then she remembered the longbow on her back, as well as the skill and accuracy she had with her slingshot in sinking the Eds 'cruise boat'. Quickly she removed the bow and held it in her right hand, while her left hand reached back and pulled out an arrow out of the quiver. She knocked the arrow with the bowstring and drew it back; waiting for the right moment to release.

Back in the cave, Ed watched as the spider stood before him, its fangs dripping venom on the ground in front of his feet.

"Stand back, man-eating-tarantula!" he shouted bravely, unmoved the danger he was in as he readied his sword.

As the giant spider stood tall with its mandibles ready to feast on the Orc, the group saw a quick flash, but it wasn't the spider's attack. In fact, the creature stumbled back and buried its face in the ground, emitting a strange gurgling noise. When it stood up, the saw its mandibles still open as due to the inserted object. Looking closely, they noticed a long stick with brown feathers sticking out of its 'mouth'. Puzzled, they looked at each other, everyone shaking their heads against any notion that they somehow inflicted pain against the monster, unaware that it had recovered and was about to spit venom at them.

Then, the flash happened again, only this time they saw it speed above them and reach the wounded spider, leaving another feathered stick inside its 'mouth' as it flailed around in pain. Their curiosity prevailed, and they quickly followed what they remember of the object's flight, to find May standing out of cover with a bow one hand and the other pulling an arrow out of the quiver.

"Should've known" Marie muttered as she looked back at the giant spider, it's body lifeless, before standing up and giving her blonde sister a thumbs up "Good shot, bucktooth!"

As the Dunmer and the rest went over to help Hadvar's group, Ed looked back at the female Bosmer as she kept an arrow at the ready. When she saw him looking at her, she blushed and gave a small wave. Ed didn't notice, as his mind flashed back years ago when he was launching everything in Eddy's garage sale, including Eddy; into the air with a similar stringed weapon.

"My brain is working again!" he blurted as he unsheathed his own longbow and drew an arrow.

Before they could respond, the gang witnessed Ed knot his bow and pull back as far as the string would let him. The arrow flew through the air in the direction of the spider, piercing its belly as it was about to pounce on Jonny. With the creature distracted, Jonny and Rolf went for the kill and stabbed its belly and throat, killing it in a matter of seconds thanks to the Orc's efforts.

"The evil tarantulas have been slain, we are safe!" he proclaimed as he his bow raised in the air.

"For now" Kevin added as he looked around and saw a beam of light coming from the ceiling at the back of the cave.

As he went over to investigate it with Nazz catching up with him, the rest of the gang returned to the web-covered cave and looked around. They saw bodies and bundles covered in spider silk strewn across the floor, some were hanging off the ceiling from the long sticky threads. Eddy looked to the left and saw something glowing on top of a sloped ledge right where the tunnel met with the cave.

"_Where fire glows, money flows_" he thought as he smiled in glee at the prospect of finally getting some money without the rest of the gang knowing.

He followed the slope until he found it levelling off with the cave floor and began to walk quietly up towards the ledge, his action's unknown by his friends down below.

"We should get moving. As much as I would like to study these creatures' habitat, I would prefer that we avoid being caught by surprise again" Edd proposed.

"Twice" Plank added.

Looking around, they saw Nazz standing in front of a set of ledges looking upwards, her line of sight aimed at the heavily armed Nord standing at the very top of the rock structure. He could practically touch the ceiling, but was instead focused at the light piercing into the darkened cave.

"See anything?" Ardan called out.

"No. It's far too small to fit through" Kevin replied as he turned back and began to follow the set of ledges that made a natural staircase from the right side of the cave to the far end.

Everyone looked around, until Jimmy saw a tunnel at the far left of the tunnel with silver white dust being blown into the cave.

"There!" he shouted, the gang following his pointed direction.

Hadvar and Ralof were the first to approach the tunnel, both of them looking impressed with the Khajiit's find, especially with the white dust.

"It's mist. The entrance should be close by" Ralof announced as he ventured forward.

As the rest of the gang entered the tunnel one by one, Rolf's eye caught glimpse a milky-coloured structure that appeared similar to the web sacs he remembered seeing back in the Old Country. Only this one was as big as the giant spiders, and there were seven of them scattered along the walls of the cave. Cautiously, he approached one of them and drew his sword. In one swift move, he inserted the blade into the openings on top and sliced through the silk shell. Once open, he shone his lantern inside to reveal a small golf ball-sized ball; its soft surface was peppered with various shades of green.

"_Rolf must prevent these eggs from hatching, or else more poor souls will have their lives made even more pitiful_"

"What are you waiting for, grandpa?" Lee spoke as she peered over Rolf's shoulder "Squash it"

"Are you crazy, red-headed devil?" he responded as he turned around to face her "These could grant special gifts, if prepared properly"

As he went over to crack open another web sac, Lee fumed at the blue-haired Imperial's response and began stomping over to the rest of the gang. Halfway there, she felt something hit her foot and rattle along the floor. Looking down, the Altmer saw a green bottle like the one Marie found in the store room, only this one was very dust after many years on the cave floor. She picked it up and shook it, it's lack of sound prompting her that it was empty, yet it took her opening the bottle and tipping it over, just to make sure.

Just as she was about to throw it away, she heard a grunting noise to her right. Looking over, she could see May trying to pull one of her arrows out of the giant spider she killed. The female Bosmer pulled with all her might, pressing her feet on the mandibles to try and keep it steady. As the arrow slowly began to slide out, Lee saw venom oozing out of the fangs from the weight of May on its skull. Looking at the bottle in her hand, she smirked as an idea formed in her mind.

"Oh May" she called out as she approached the blonde Kanker.

"Huh?" she asked, when the arrow suddenly slipped free, causing her to fall on her back "Ow!"

"Quit slacking around and help me out over here" she said sarcastically as she knelt down next the spider's fangs.

"But I have to get my arrows back" May replied as she held up the fully intact one she had just retrieved.

"So, why don't we get something to make it even more deadly?" she responded as she pointed her finger at the dead spider's fang, followed by the empty bottle in her opposite hand.

"How?" May questioned as she scratched her head with her spare hand.

"Just stand on the fleshy bit above their fangs when I tell you to, and I'll take care of the rest" she instructed as she held the bottle underneath one.

Following the elder half-sibling's orders, May sheathed the arrow and stood on the indicated spot, causing the venom to ooze out into the bottle until there was nothing left, before moving onto the next fang and draining away its contents. Once done, they moved onto the next spider corpse to begin the same simple process all over again, all while the rest of the gang had their backs to them as they began filing into the newly discovered tunnel.

Meanwhile, Eddy had reached the top of the ledge and found a fire basin illuminating the orange glow, yet there was nothing there. He stepped forward and looked behind the fire to find a dusty human ribcage and skull, as well as some arm and leg bones. The fact that they weren't covered in web like the Frostbite Spider's victims down below indicated that whoever this person was managed to hide silently without them discovering, until it died from starvation or exposure. Normally the male Bosmer wouldn't bother wasting his brain cells solving such mysteries, but the promise of finding loot would definitely be worth it.

"Don't worry, buddy, I'll put your money to good use" he whispered to himself as he knelt down onto the ground, his eyes focused on the skull as if he was talking to it.

Eddy shifted the bones out of the way, but found nothing. Then he brushed the dirt away for a few seconds until he hit solid rock, but found nothing.

"Come on. This dude must have had something" he growled as he looked around, until something shiny caught his eye, only it wasn't what he was looking for.

Rather than a pile of gold coins, or a beautiful piece of jewellery, the male Bosmer found an iron mace lying next to the fire basin, exactly the same as the one hanging on his belt. As he picked up the only item of value amongst the pile of old bones, his anger boiled over as his face turned red.

"What a load of bunk!"

Eddy's yelling caused Rolf to look up and see the loudmouth Wood Elf jumping up and down in a fit of petty rage, along with everyone else in the cave. By now, Rolf had finished picking the last web sac of its spider egg and was returning to the rest of the gang, when he saw May once again trying to pull another arrow out of the giant spider she slayed earlier. This fails, however, as the arrow snaps in half and caused her to fall onto her back once more. While she got back up, he noticing the knapsack on her back, he quickly found his solution.

"Pardon Rolf's intrusion, yellow-haired tree fairy," he said as he tapped her shoulder, gaining her attention "but could you carry these arachnid by-products in your travel sack?"

May looked at the soft eggs for a few seconds, then at Rolf, then the eggs again.

"Sure" she replied, removing her backpack from her shoulders and adding them to her inventory.

"And don't forget this" Lee added as she squeezed the cork back onto the bottle, filled with the venom of five Frostbite Spiders, before throwing to the female Bosmer.

May caught the bottle with ease, and as Lee and Rolf went back to enter the tunnel, she noticed something shiny stuck on the snapped arrow. Pulling it off and cleaning it with her fingers, it turned out to be a shiny red object coated in spider blood. She stared at it for a bit, but when she heard a fuming Eddy marching down with his extra mace ranting about his lack of good fortune, she quickly hid it in her knapsack and took up the back of the line entering the tunnel.

At the front, Ralof and Hadvar were on point as they walked slowly down the slope into another cave, this one bringing them back to the river. The water flowed more rapidly from a waterfall to the left towards the right side of the cave, which was more spacious. As small natural bridge nearby allowed them to walk over the water and continue on the other side of the river.

As they moved forward, Nazz noticed something near the fire basin on the high ledge at the right side of the waterfall. Curiosity got the better of her, as she went over to check it out, her boyfriend unaware of her absence, as he was in front of her in the line. When she got there, she found some human bones, along with an iron dagger, and another red vial, only this one was in a dark red colour. Once gathered and placed in her knapsack, she quickly re-joined Kevin and the rest of the gang.

"Hey, where were you, Nazz?" Kevin asked, but he was suddenly stopped when he bumped into Hadvar.

"Shhhh" Hadvar whispered as he held up his hand, indicating everyone to stop.

"What's the going on?" Ardan questioned.

"Hold up. There's a bear just ahead, see her?" Ralof answered quietly as he pointed at in front of them.

The gang scanned the area; its natural columns littered around the cave, while the river turned left and disappeared underground. Looking at where the Stormcloak was pointing at, they saw a light shining from the ceiling down onto a large black bear sleeping on its side in the direction of the gang. Everyone immediately crouched down and stayed still, hoping it wouldn't hear them. Panic was rife among the group, but Ralof and Hadvar stayed calm.

"What do we do now?" Sarah asked silently, the gang amazed that the normally deafening girl was able to keep her voice low.

"I'd rather not tangle with her as much as you do. We might be able to sneak by" Hadvar replied.

"Are you crazy? That thing could wake up at any time" Kevin complained.

"Just take it nice and slow, and watch where you step. We must be near the entrance for that bear to have made its den here" Ralof assured them, pointing to the left where the cave continued onward.

"Ok and what if we wake it up and it decides to have a late breakfast?" Marie added.

"You could use your bows to take it out at a distance. Might take her by surprise and buy us some time to get out" Hadvar reassured them.

"We'll go ahead first and show you how it's done, at least for novices such as yourselves" Ralof announced quietly as he began to sneak forward quietly while crouched, followed by Hadvar.

They watched as the two Nords slowly made their way towards the left side of the cave, watching out for any stones they could accidently kick and cause to tumble along the rocky ground. After a few tense minutes, they reached a cave wall that provided a good hiding spot out of the bear's field of view.

"Looks easy enough" Plank commented.

"Go on ahead, Sarah. We'll watch your back" Ed encouraged as he unsheathed his longbow, soon followed by Jonny and May as they went to the front of the group bows at the ready.

"Hang on, aren't there supposed to be four people with bows?" Jimmy queried, causing everyone to look at Eddy.

"What? I don't even know how to fire this thing" the male Bosmer grumbled as held his bow in front of them.

"Fine then, Eddy, I guess we'll have to rely on Ed's amazing skill of improvisation and let him use you as ammunition should he run out of arrows to subdue that beast should it awaken from its deep slumber" Edd warned smugly.

Eddy's tanned face went white at the thought of being launched through the air by Ed's bow, especially at the thought of being fired at an angry bear. Without saying a word, he joined the firing line with his wooden longbow at hand.

"Follow me, Jimmy. Remember, nice and slow" Sarah whispered as she began sneaking slowly towards Hadvar and Ralof, going at a speed that ensured her heavy armour wouldn't make too much noise.

As they moved forward, the four archers kept their eyes on the sleeping omnivore. And before they knew it, Sarah and Jimmy were quietly having a victory hug behind the safe spot at the target location.

Then it was Kevin and Nazz's turn. Despite them knowing that heavy armour wasn't perfect for sneaking, they managed to get past the bear without waking it up.

"I know bears are heavy sleepers, but this is ridiculous" Jonny muttered in amazement.

"Perhaps the beast has already fed" Rolf proposed as he watched Edd crouch down and beginning his silent trek to the far left side of the cave.

Meanwhile, Eddy was getting bored of watching the lazy bear sleep while they were easily sneaking right in front of its closed eyes. Hoping to pass the time, he looked around and noticed the cart next to them had three of those dark green bottles with the basket at the bottom. It was what he saw after the bottles that made his mind shut down for a few seconds, the biggest coin purse he had ever seen so far.

"Money!"

As the high-pitched cry of joy echoed around the room, everyone looked back to find Eddy out of the fire line, hugging the life out of a large coin purse as his eyes sparkled like the gold he craves for. They were joined by a disgruntled bear that was clearly unhappy with her wakeup call, and could clearly see Rolf crouched halfway towards the other side of its den.

"Uh, p-p-pardon me" Edd stuttered meekly.

When the bear's response was an angry roar bouncing off the cave walls, everyone began to panic as they drew their weapons. Even Eddy was frightened enough to return to where he left his bow, once he hid his moneybag under his armour.

Once there, he saw Ed and Jonny firing arrows at the bear, half of them missing their target, and the other half that did weren't slowing her down as she charged towards Edd.

"I could use some help over here!" the male Breton yelled as he ran away, only to slam against the cave wall as he looked back at his pursuer.

In the middle of everything, the three archers heard a cork pop nearby. Looking to their left, they saw May dipping an arrow into a dark green bottle and whisking it around.

"What are you doing? Kill it, kill it!" Eddy yelled at her as he finally got the nocked the arrow to the bow string and tried to draw the bow fully back, before he lost his grip and let his arrow loose, landing halfway on the cave floor.

He was then pushed as side as Marie marched forward with sword at hand and ran over to the bear's sleeping spot.

"Hey, rotten fur coat!" she shouted, causing the beast to notice her and changed targets.

May pulled the arrow out of the bottle once she had enough venom to cover half of the arrow and placed the bottle on the ground. By the time she had the arrow nocked with the bow string, the bear was almost within arm's length of Marie.

Marie saw the disgusting creature roar at her with all her breath. She wanted to just turn into a ball of flames and roast this animal into dust. But when she realised her anger wasn't turning her into a living inferno, she began to see her chances of survival diminish.

Suddenly, the bear stood up; ready to strike the Dunmer down, when an arrow got lodged into its neck. The creature roared in pain as once again stood on all four feet and looked in the direction of the blonde Kanker holding her bow, the sting still vibrating from the release. Suddenly, the bear began to stumble around, as if it were woozy. And then all of a sudden, it dropped on its side, its voice silent as it bleeds from its fatal wound.

The cave is silent as the gang watches Marie's stunned look at how the arrow was perfectly lodged between the head and shoulders, as well as the blue goo along the shaft mixing with the blood as it oozed out. Marie looked back to the firing line and saw May simply putting the cork back on the bottle of venom, before heading towards the cart and bagging the three dark green bottles in her knapsack.

"Well, that's something you don't see every day" Ardan stated.

"Rolf agrees"

"No kidding" Jonny added.

"Lucky shot"

Once again, everybody turned their heads towards Eddy, this time with an angry look on their faces.

"You couldn't hit a barn door if you stood right in front of it!" Plank argued.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Nazz yelled as she approached Eddy, along with the rest of the gang.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Eddy responded innocently, already starting to feel the pressure as they glared at him.

"We're talking about you shouting out a particular word. One that you were so obsessed with, you ignored the safety of your own friends for the sake of a gold coin?!" Edd exclaimed.

"Make that a gazillion gold coins, Hamilton!" he boasted proudly as he pulled the coin purse from under his torso armour and held it in front of him.

He smirked with his eyes closed in pride, until he felt the leather purse was no longer within his fingers and opened to find Jimmy had swiped it away and began counting.

"Hey, I found that!" Eddy yelled, but was ignored as Jimmy counted every single coin, which heightened his curiosity "Well… how much is there?"

"Hmm…" the Khajiit pondered as he dropped the final coin back into the purse "32"

"Kaching!" Eddy cried as he walked over to retrieve his money, but found himself blocked off by the rest of the gang "Ahem, do you mind?"

Kevin grabbed Eddy by the collar with both hands and hoisted him into the air.

"Eddy, you must not allow your miserly habit to overcome you in such dangerous circumstances" Edd explained in a stern manner, before opening his little pouch and turning to Jimmy "May I?"

"Sure thing" Jimmy replied as he handed him the coin purse.

"Hey! I found that, therefore I own it!" Eddy cried in protest, but no one listened, which made him upset "This is way too cruel!"

"Like we're gonna let you off that easily" Kevin sneered as he dropped Eddy to the ground, landing on his backside "Hey, Plank!"

"Yes, Kevin?" he replied.

"Why don't you take a break, we found ourselves a new carrying mule" Kevin finished as he gave an evil smile at the loudmouth Bosmer.

"No, wait!" Eddy screamed as he tried to run away, only to have Ed and Rolf each grab one arm and hold him still while Jonny, Kevin and Plank place improvised straps over his shoulders.

"Quit struggling, you goofball" Jonny complained as he finished tying the harness onto Eddy's belt "There, ain't no way an amateur can untie that knot"

Eddy struggled to remove the heavy bundle of armour and weapons from his back, but to no avail.

As things began to calm down, Ed felt someone tap him on the shoulder. When he turned around, he saw May standing with her arms behind her back.

"I've got a present for you, Pookie-Bear" she beamed.

Fearing that she was going to smooch him to death, Ed quickly covered his face with his hands. When nothing happened, he peaked through his fingers and saw May holding a metal object in front of him. He lowered his hands and saw her presenting him with a dark grey helmet, composed of three overlapping layers of metal on the back and a faceguard on the front, topped off with large engraved animal horns curved downwards like bicycle handles.

May noticed Ed staring towards her, which made her heart flutter. He quickly reached out and grabbed it from her, before placing it on his head, only for an endless darkness to replace his vision.

"Oh no, I am blind!" Ed screamed.

Eddy, who had finally managed to get back onto his feet; turned to his dim friend's cry for help and immediately saw the problem.

"You're wearing it the wrong way, Blockhead!" he yelled.

"Oh" Ed said as he turned the helmet the other way, his vision returned courtesy of the eyeholes in the faceguard.

"As entertaining as it may be to see the bean-brain Ed-boy try to master the simplest tasks of life, Rolf must excuse himself, as he has work to do" he stated as he made his way towards the recently deceased bear while drawing his dagger.

Everyone was confused by Rolf words, except for Ralof and Hadvar, who simply went about exploring the area they were sneaking towards earlier. They knew too well what the blue-haired Imperials intentions were.

Using his dagger, Rolf started cutting beneath the fur and began to remove it from the corpse. The sight of blood spilling onto the floor and flesh being sliced slowly caused everyone to cringe. Those with weak stomachs, including Jimmy, Edd, Jonny, Plank and Nazz ran after Hadvar and Ralof to get away from the disgusting display. The rest of the gang followed them soon after, although Ed had to be dragged away as he was confused by Rolf's actions.

"Gross!" Nazz yelled.

"I feel sick, Sarah" Jimmy moaned as he held his stomach.

"Are we even going to find the way out?!" Eddy complained.

"Yes, let's us proceed in finding the exit before we all lose our lunch" Edd agreed.

When they caught up with Hadvar and Ralof, they were looking at the bones and bloodstains that decorated the bear's 'dining room'. Jimmy placed his hand over his mouth as he jumped onto a rock near the cave wall and threw up behind it.

"Well, so much that" Ardan stated.

"Is your Imperial friend finished skinning that bear yet?" Ralof asked.

"How should we know? We left just as he started cutting that pile of meat up" Marie replied.

"Knowing him, he'll spend all day at it" Sarah added.

"Rolf has completed his work"

Everyone turned to the proud son of a Shepard standing behind them the moment Sarah finished her sentence, holding the fur pelt with both hands. Before they could say a word, he walked over to May and bent down on one knee.

"As you would say, to the victor goes the spoils" he declared as he presented the bear rug to the blonde Kanker.

Though somewhat freaked out by Rolf's actions, May reached out and touched the pelt, it's soft feel instantly made her forget about the violence that occurred to earn it as she grabbed it and hung it over her shoulders. Edd was about to warn her not to when he saw that the underside of the pelt was clean of any flesh and blood, until he found the answer.

"_How could I forget that Rolf works on a farm? They practically know everything there is about animal by-products_" Edd screamed mentally as he tried to regain his composure.

Just as things couldn't get any weirder, they felt a chill coming from a tunnel nearby, its sloped path leading to a fire basin sitting at the corner as it made a sharp left turn.

"There had better be an exit in there" Sarah grumbled as she marched forward while Jimmy tried to catch up with her.

"Wait up!" Plank shouted as he and Jonny chased after her.

"Come on, Nazz, we should be close to getting out of this dump" Kevin assured as he held hands with the female Breton.

"Rolf was cutting that bears fur off!" Ed cried as he finally managed to figure out what had transpired not long ago.

"Pity he didn't bring you the brain, Lumpy" Eddy remarked as he slowly trudged past him with his loot backpack.

As they descended down the sloped path and took the turn, they gasped as cold air filled their lungs and white sunlight shined into their eyes, courtesy of the large opening in the rocks that lay before them, which meant only one thing.

"This looks like the way out. I knew we were going to make it!" Hadvar said, relieved that it was over.

"I thought we were never going to make it" Ralof commented as everyone cheered in celebration.

Just as they were about to walk towards the exit, Edd pushed his way through and raised his hand to halt them, much to their displeasure.

"As much as it is tempting to consider our prison break successful, I would advise that we leave this place in the same quiet and dare I say it stealthy manner as…"

"FREEDOM!" Ed yelled as he ran past him, causing him to spin around and become dizzy.

"Way to go, Monobrow!" Eddy chuckled as he hastily followed the Orc out of the cave.

"But…"

"Don't spoil it any further, killjoy!" Kevin jeered as he and his girlfriend went past Edd.

As everyone made a break for the exit, Edd found himself standing alone.

"Why do I even bother" he sighed in defeat as he tried to muster the strength to keep up with their pace "Wait for me!"


	13. Chapter 12

A/N: Please visit my profile for announcements and news on updates.

The rays of sunlight were hurting Sarah's eyes as she ran towards the cave exit. It was so bright that even those leading the way were vanishing before her as they continued on. After what felt like a lifetime of running and squinting, the light finally dimmed down, causing her vision to blur from the sudden change. Once her eyes had returned to normal, they unveiled blue sky with large clouds floating around, one of which had just blocked out the sun. Lowering her view, she found herself standing on a hillside with a dirt path leading away from the cave mouth. Large rocks dotted the landscape and pine trees stood tall all around them, with only the mountain ranges in the far distance being the only thing towering over everything else.

"Jimmy, we made it!" she announced.

Jimmy didn't respond, as he was too busy lying face down on the ground, exhausted from all the running as Sarah dragged him by the hand. When she saw him, she shook her head in annoyance.

"_Typical_" she groaned mentally as she stooped down and got his right arm over her shoulder and helped him back onto his feet "Look, Jimmy, we're back outside"

The Khajiit raised his head and smiled when he saw the lush fir trees and bright sky, taking a deep gulp of air.

"It's beautiful" he sighed, which made Sarah smile, but not for long as the smell of sick blew up into her nostrils.

"Eww!" she shouted as she dropped him back onto the ground and gagged as she tried to get rid of the horrid stench "You need to brush your teeth, mister"

"Dude, look at all the trees" Nazz commented, pointing towards the woodland further down the hill.

"Looks like we've ended up in the middle of a forest" Kevin stated.

"No we're not, silly; that's just a grove up ahead" Jonny explained.

"Where are we anyway?" Lee questioned.

"Who cares, we're free. Not to mention young, cool and full of life" Eddy boasted as marched to the front of the group and, to everyone's dismay; took a deep breath.

"Wait!" Hadvar and Ralof shouted in a hushed tone.

"Wake up world 'cause Eddy is back, baby!"

As his voice echoed across the land, he turned around to find his friends giving him a look of shock, anger and fear; except for Ed, who was just as confused as Eddy.

"What?" he asked innocently.

Just then, the familiar thumping sound rang around them. Without thinking, the gang huddled behind the large rocks at the right side of the cave, with Ed dragging Eddy over and covered his mouth with his hands. As the male Bosmer gagged over his muffler and the stench of it, he heard the last sound he wanted to hear, as the black dragon flew over them, its roar putting the loudmouth Wood Elf to shame. Everyone shook in fear as the terrifying noise bounced off the hills and mountains, fearing that they were found out and doomed. When they looked up, they saw the skies vacant of the scaly beast, while their two Nord friends of the day peaking over the rock they were crouched behind. The rest of the gang joined them and watched as the dragon flew away from them between the two mountains in the far distance.

"There he goes. Looks like he's gone for good this time" Ralof announced as he stood up from his cover, followed by the rest of the gang.

"I don't think we should stay around to see if he comes back" Hadvar added, laughing slightly at their luck.

"What makes you think it's a he dragon?" May queried.

"Who cares what's between its legs. I'm amazed that it didn't find us" Marie stated as she tried to focus on the horizon.

"That's an understatement" Plank agreed.

"No way to tell if anyone else has survived, but this place will be swarming with Imperial troops soon enough" Ralof warned as he began to walk down the path.

"Um, guys, I don't think we'll see either of them anytime soon" Ardan cautioned.

The gang turned around and saw Ardan and Rolf facing the cave looking upwards. Following their eyesight, they saw black smoke pluming from the sheer cliffs above them. It didn't take them long to realise that the smoking nightmare in the far distance was Helgen.

"May the gods and goddesses grant those poor souls relief in their hours of misery and pain" Rolf said in a sombre tone; the gang too shocked to notice as they silently watched the pillar of smoke climb into the clouds.

"Ralof is right," Hadvar interrupted, causing everyone to look at him as he walked over and stood next to the Stormcloak rebel "the Legion won't be heard anytime soon, but their scouts will. You'll need a place to lie low, for now"

"Where can we go? We don't even know where we are" Jimmy asked, standing on his own two feet.

"Closest town from here is Riverwood. My uncle's the blacksmith there. I'm sure he'd help you out" Hadvar replied as he pointed down the path.

"But what if the Legion discovers us? Your relatives will surely be fined, or worse; imprisoned for hiding fugitives" Edd questioned.

"Don't worry, I'll explain on...the...way" Hadvar answered as he turned to Ralof, only to find him no longer next to him.

"Where did he go?" Ed spoke as they looked around for the rebel, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Man, he must have a good reason to avoid the Legion" Kevin reckoned.

"Yes and no. The Legion takes hours and even days to mobilise the troops, but there's no doubt the scouts will be here soon. And if they find us, they'll alert the troops of our location" Hadvar explained as he followed the path down the hill.

"Why are you doing this? We've escaped the dragon, so it's every man and woman for themselves" Sarah asked, her words causing everyone to give him an inquisitive look.

"I wouldn't have made it without your help today. Not with the dragon, not with those backstabbing rebels, not with those spiders or even that bear. I would've been dead many times over without your aid. Besides, your still fugitives, and the troops at Fort Neugrad would have records of your time in prison. Even if it was only for one night, I doubt they would forget the prisoners who accompanied Ulfric Stormcloak" Hadvar assured them, causing the gang to give him a look of gratitude, and encouraged Edd to approach him offering his hand.

"In that case, allow me to say that you have our most gracious thanks for your-"

"Quit yapping, Double D, we're wasting time" Eddy interrupted, his impatience getting the better of him.

Suddenly, he felt something swipe both of his legs, causing his face to reunite with the ground once again, the heavy loot strapped to his back making it much more painful.

"Ow! What the…"

"Like that isn't as dangerous as letting everyone who's after us know where we are, Loudmouth" Kevin growled.

Looking back, Eddy saw his friends giving him an angry glare. Fearing for his life, he tried to get back up and run away, but the heavy load made it almost impossible, as did his attempt to crawl away.

"So keep your mouth shut, Fishface, or you'll end up losing it" Sarah sneered evilly as she walked in front of him and crouched down to his eye level "Literally"

"Don't ask" Edd whispered to Hadvar, eager to avoid explaining their strange hallucination that led the male Bosmer, as well as Ed, to attempt to remove Sarah's mouth with varying degrees of success.

As Sarah and Kevin gave each other a high five for their efforts in getting the male Bosmer to stay quiet in the future, they approached the Nord legionnaire and Breton intellectual with a determined attitude.

"So, Hadvar, where's this Riverwood you're talking about?" Kevin asked as stopped before them.

"Not that far. This path should lead us onto the main road. After that, just a simple walk downhill until we reach the White River and follow the road along it until we get to Riverwood" he replied.

"Well, let's get going already" Jonny piped as he, along with Plank, ran up to them all eager and ready to go.

"Yeah, any longer out her and I'll freeze to death" Lee complained as she and her siblings, as well as the rest of the gang followed suit.

"That's the spirit. Now, if there are no objections; let's commence our journey to Riverwood" Edd declared.

While they followed Hadvar down the hill, Eddy had just managed to get back onto his feet when he saw them leaving him behind.

"Hey, wait for me!" Eddy yelled as he ran after them.

Thankfully, the gang was too enthralled by the sights and surroundings to notice the male Wood Elf's slightly lower tone. As the path lead them downhill towards a low rocky ledge, it swerved to the left before making turning right and hugging along the ledge and continuing on.

Jimmy watched as Nazz and Sarah chatted with each other, when he noticed something to his left that caught his eye. On the grassy hillside, he saw a bunch of purple flower he had never seen before growing amongst the grass. It was bright purple with a mix of pink, made of rugged petals sitting on top of a tall stalk with leaves. He crouched down and smelled the pretty flower, its sweet fragrance filling his nostrils while raising his head skyward.

But as he breathed out, his nose was filled with the smell of stale stomach acid and half dissolved food. Even though it didn't churn his stomach enough to cause him to barf, he knew he had to find a way of ridding his mouth of the gut-wrenching odour. And in a world where toothpaste and mouthwash were never mentioned, he knew it wouldn't be easy. Looking down, he saw the flowers were still intact. He then remembered an extract from the Urban Ranger's Manual that stated that picking plants, and in particular flowers, wasn't against the Code if they were in a survival situation, so long as they did it in a conservative way.

Or as Rolf put it 'only pick the strongest, for it will outdo its siblings many times over'.

With those words of wisdom, the Khajiit looked at the array of flowers before him. Some were low to the ground with few petals, while others were on high stalks with withering ones, making them unsuitable for what he had in mind. So he focused on the centre and found a flower blooming in its prime. With steady hands, he grabbed it at the forked stalk and gently plucked it, leaving the rest of the flowers intact.

Reaching into his belt, he retrieved the roughspun shirt he had earlier and placed the flower on it. Just as he was about to wrap the cloth over the flower and pack it away, he noticed a blue flower nearby and decided to add it to his small collection.

"Are you saying I'm ugly?" Sarah snarled as she rolled up her sleeve.

"No, of course not, all I'm saying is whether or not you can use that Charm power that Imperials have" Nazz responded as they continued walking down the path as it twisted and turned between the small ledges to their right and the pine trees to their left.

"You mean that 'Voice of the Emperor' thing? Who knows, I don't even know how to use it" Sarah stated as she rolled her sleeve back down.

"But, what about when Edd was struck by electricity?" Nazz asked.

"You do know that Bretons take magic damage as if they were a feather, don't you?" Sarah explained as they made a turn to avoid the large fallen tree blocking their way.

"Wow" Nazz gasped, feeling embarrassed for not knowing, despite being a Breton herself "Sorry"

"No worries." Sarah noted as she put her arms behind her head as if she was trying to relax while moving, and then whispered "What race did you used to play as?"

"Imperial" Nazz replied quietly, which resulted in an awkward silence between them, just as they noticed some commotion up ahead.

"There's the main road" Hadvar announced as the dirt path began to merge with the wider cobblestone road.

"Are you kidding me?" Kevin complained, and he wasn't the only one who was unimpressed by the route.

"Did they even finish building it?" May asked.

"I have to admit, it isn't as well engineered as the roads in Cyrodiil" Edd admitted as he noticed that the stones weren't tightly packed together, as well as the odd patch of dirt every few metres along the road.

"What's with the pile of rocks over there?" Ed questioned as he pointed at the stack of stones to their right.

"That's a Cairn. My parents told me the ancients built them to mark out dangerous paths. Some folk say that they are the graves of the first person who explored it and didn't make it back. I heard a Mage at an inn argue that they were mile markers, but I doubt it" Hadvar explained as they all gathered where the dirt path ends.

"After what we went through, I admit you're right for the most part" Marie commented.

"Hurry up, I'm getting a hernia back here" Eddy grumbled as he finally managed to catch up with them.

As much as some people would like to prolong his punishment, the gang proceeded down the hill on the partly-paved path. A few steps later, Plank noticed something to their left.

"Hey, there's a road sign over here" he informed as he walked up and stood in front of a tall wooden post with three small pointed planks with writing nailed to it.

Everyone gathered around the Argonian and began to read the place names. The top one was slanted pointing to their left up the hill. Unsurprisingly, it had 'Helgen' written on it in white paint. The one at the bottom also pointed left, but said 'Falkreath' instead.

"Found it!" Jonny chimed in as he pointed at the middle sign pointing to their right with 'Riverwood' etched on the worn pine wood.

"But this doesn't say how far away these places are" Sarah noted.

"So, neither were the ones in Cyrodiil" Lee remarked.

"_Or Morrowind_" Edd added mentally at the lack of such vial information.

"So what guys? If Hadvar knows where it is, then he knows where it is" Nazz stated.

"Can we get a move on here? At this rate I'll hear those legion guys sharpening their swords if we don't find a place to hide" Kevin scolded as he gently grabbed Nazz's hand and prompted Hadvar to continue leading the way.

With that reminder, they resumed trekking down the hill and reached a fork on the road, one made a sharp left turn on the flats while the other gently sloped to the right as it continued down the hillside. Hadvar picked the one on the right and the gang followed him as the road began to gradually get steeper.

"Where does that left turn lead to?" Ardan asked.

"It depends. It leads to the west of this hold and its capital, Falkreath. Most travellers either head there or continue west for the city of Markarth in the Reach" Hadvar replied.

"My head hurts" Ed commented as he scratched his hair, causing everyone to laugh.

Just then, Hadvar stopped where the path turned just before a rocky ledge. The gang was puzzled by this delay in their hopes of avoiding their pursuers.

"See that ruin up there?" he said as he pointed slightly upwards.

At the back of the crowd, Jimmy had just packed away his rag full of flowers when he heard those words. When he got to the front, he was greeted by the formidable mountain standing opposite the valley that lay between them. On that mountain was an even more formidable structure composed of five humongous arches; each varying in shape, size and the number of pillars underneath the curve.

"Jeepers" Jimmy gasped as he stared at the large structure.

"What the heck is that?" Kevin questioned.

"Bleak Falls Barrow. When I was a boy, that place always used to give me nightmares" Hadvar replied calmly.

"You lived here?!" Eddy shouted, but soon had his hands over his mouth for his brash words.

Thankfully, the rest of the gang were too shocked to notice.

"My parents were both in the Imperial Legion. My father was a legionnaire, and my mother was a battlemage. They were married for years and wanted to start a family, but I uhh... arrived earlier than expected. So I had to stay with my uncle for a few years until they completed their tour of duty and received their land grants "he explained, scratching the back of his head, indicating it wasn't the first time he told that story.

"What did these nightmares involve?" Edd asked in a calm tone.

"It was always the same one. Draugr would climb into the bedroom window at night. That kind of thing" he replied, shivering at the thought.

"What's a draugr?" Sarah queried.

"They are again-walkers, with the strength to kill anyone who dares disturb them" Rolf warned as he walked up and stood beside Hadvar, before turning around dramatically "For only the strong can be brought back to life"

"Zombies!" Jimmy cried in fear.

"Cool!" May chimed in with a smile on her face.

"So what? Those limping lumps of flesh can't be that hard to kill" Lee bragged confidently.

"I'm afraid that's not the case here. They're far more intelligent than their Cyrodiil counterparts. Plus they tend to be the bodies of less reputable people, the mean and unpopular" Edd explained, causing everyone to look at Eddy, but he simply shrugged in typical confusion.

"And they're not just strong. Some are able to use magic to kill you, or worse, drive you mad" Marie added, causing some people to become sceptical.

"How can being mad be worse than death?" Jonny asked anxiously.

"Those who die while mad can end up becoming a draugr" Edd replied.

Everyone looked at their self-appointed genius and wish he didn't say that. Looking back at the ruin, they could almost feel a strange chill emit from the structure, one that made the cold climate of Skyrim feel like a heat wave.

"Not to worry though. Draugr tend to stay inside their tombs. As long as you stay away, they won't attack you" Hadvar reassured as he continued downhill, his eyes taking a quick glimpse at the ruin before returning to his tourists "I admit, I still don't like the look of it"

"You're not the only one" Plank mumbled.

As they progressed downhill, Edd was pondering over how Marie knew so much about the draugr.

"_I'm not surprised that Rolf knows so much about them given his keen interest in folklore. Not to mention his trip to Norway in the tenth grade in his pursuit of vengeance against Gerta the Goatmilker_" he thought, before looking back and seeing her looking back and noticed Marie continued to look at the gigantic arches as she walked "_Must've heard of them from an underground heavy metal band in Sweden. Quite a flourishing industry if I do say so myself_"

Soon the road curved to the left and pointed them in the opposite direction as it went along the rocky ledge they stood on earlier. Up ahead, they saw a huge lake sitting in the middle of the valley between the mountains on either side. A third mountain range at the other side of the lake was so tall; it looked as if it reached the heavens themselves.

"That's one big lake" Nazz marvelled, as she relaxed her grip on Kevin's hand.

"No kidding. It even got its own islands" Jonny admitted as everyone thought of the small waterhole at home.

While the gang was deep in thought, Rolf noticed something at the end of the road. Rubbing his eyes in case the sun's glare was playing with him, he saw three upright stones standing arranged in the style of an Old Country circle at the bottom of the slope as the road turned right.

"Do Rolf's eyes fool the brain of Rolf?" he questioned as he shook Ardan by the shoulder and pointed at the strange objects near the lake.

Deferred from their daydream, the gang looked to their left and also took interest in the three grey rocks. As they got closer to the turn, they saw that they looked like the menhirs they heard of in History class long ago. Black stone stripes travel vertically on the curved side, while two travel horizontally around it, dividing the top third and the bottom two thirds from the large circular hole carved straight through the rock like a porthole.

"What are those things?" Jimmy questioned as they approached the alien objects, but Ed rushed ahead of them and stood in their way.

"Don't get any closer, for these Morris-dancing anteater eggs hatch when prey gets too close, and then dine on your kidney stones" he warned dramatically.

"We're too young to have kidney stones, bonehead" Eddy argued as he and the rest of the gang pushed Ed aside and went in for a closer look.

"Actually, Eddy, there have been some cases of teenagers being diagnosed with urine-based by-products in their person, mostly among the female population" Edd explained, but soon felt a cold shiver on his shoulders, indicating the glares he was receiving from the girls standing behind him, even Marie didn't know whether to resent or laugh at his innocent ignorance.

"So…what are these things exactly?" Plank asked awkwardly, hoping to ease the tension.

"These are the Guardian Stones. Three of the thirteen ancient standing stones that dot Skyrim's landscape" Hadvar explained.

"Well then, professor smarty-pants, why don't you investigate those stones over there" Lee growled as she pushed onto the stone platform.

With a group of angry and armed women, most of whom know how to torture him, he got to work and focused on the middle menhir.

"_I could've sworn I've seen these kind of primitive structures before_" Edd thought.

At closer inspection, it had dark spiral carvings at the top third just like those on the artefacts in Scandinavia and the Peach Creak cliff. Below the circular hole, there were plain carvings with nothing to make the dull grey rock stand out. But as he focused more carefully, he noticed a familiar face etched into the menhir; along with a familiar robe and a familiar staff. And when he looked at the two on either side of him, it he had his answer.

"What's taking Double D so long?" Sarah growled impatiently.

"Do these lumps of rock do anything useful?" Kevin questioned.

"Don't gaze upon them!" Ed yelled as he tried to 'save' them, but Eddy managed to swing his mace into the Orc's nether region and stopped him in his tracks.

The gang remained silent as Ed simply fell face down on the spot as if he was frozen, giving Eddy the opportunity to sit down on his back and take a rest from heaving their loot around.

"I've got it!" Edd yelled as he finally turned around to face his friends "These stones are associated with the thirteen constellations among the stars of Mundus"

"Huh?" they all questioned; except for Ed, who was out cold, and Rolf, who was rubbing his chin in deep thought.

Edd sighed as he decided to continue his explanation.

"The constellations represent the birthsigns that people are born under, which means that..."

"They can grant us the blessings of the heavens and aid us in our time of turmoil!" Rolf interrupted.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, Rolf" Edd praised, until he saw the eyes of his friends widen as they realised what it meant "Now, there's no need to rush..."

But the gang simply ignored him and rushed onto the platform to see the astronomical objects for themselves. Edd managed to crawl out of the crowd and stood up on the road next to Hadvar, and Ed, who had just recovered from his injuries.

"So wait, what birthsigns do these stones have exactly?" May queried as the mob began to settle down.

"Well, the one in the middle is clearly the Mage" Marie answered as she surveyed the carved image of a bearded man in robes carrying a staff.

"And that one on the left is clearly the Thief" Ardan added, pointing towards the pillar showing a cloaked individual running with its blade drawn in one hand and a sack of gold in the other.

"And last but not least, the noble Warrior" Rolf finished as he stared at the stone to the right which showed a man clad in partial body armour holding an axe and shield.

"Aw, come on. Of all the birthsigns, why did we end up with this lot?" Eddy complained, earning him a slap on the back of the head from Rolf.

"Poppycock, you should show respect to the Guardians in the sky!" Rolf argued, but this left more than just the male Bosmer confused.

"He's right, Eddy. These birthsigns are the only ones to contain a planet in its constellation. In order, the Thief contains Arkay, the Mage contains Julianos, and the Warrior contains Akatosh" Edd theorised, leaving everyone confused.

"Aren't they the Divines?" Nazz questioned.

"Correct, which makes them very important and..." he stated.

"Cut the lecture short, Merlin. How do we even make these stones work?" Eddy interrupted, causing Edd to roll his eyes.

"Gee, I don't know. Why don't you place your hand on one of them and see what happens" he remarked sarcastically, resulting in everyone giggling at the male Wood Elf.

"Fine!" Eddy barked as he marched up to the Warrior stone and placed his hand on it.

But after a few seconds, nothing happened. Instead, he turned around to find Kevin laughing his ass off. Needless to say, Eddy was angry at them, and Edd.

"Ok then wise-guy, let's see you try" he dared as he returned to the centre of the platform.

"Watch me, you won't wanna miss a thing" Kevin boasted as he walked forward and touched the stone, but almost a minute later the lack of response left everyone puzzled.

"Wow, you sure know how to put on a show, Kevin" Eddy sniggered sarcastically, before laughing at the red-headed Nord next to him.

"Rolf shall have his go now" the blue-haired Imperial declared as he walked up next to Kevin and touched the stone.

Suddenly, the spiral carvings glowed fiercely, followed by strange dots and lines within the carvings, revealing to be the actual constellation that represents the Warrior. A glowing sphere appeared inside the carved porthole and shot a beam of light into the sky directly above the stone. All the while, an ambient sound similar to the one Edd's healing spell made hummed in the background, along with a burning sound as the symbols glowed as if they were on fire.

All the while, the gang stood slack jawed at the spectacle. When the light show faded away and returned to normal, Rolf removed his hand and saw the lines and dots that made up the Warrior sign glowing faintly on the palm of his hand, before fading away, leaving no trace.

"Ok, what the heck just happened here?" Eddy questioned as he turned towards Edd, along with everyone else.

"Well, the birthsigns are associated with the months of the year, so the month in which the person was born determines the constellation at the time. Which means that Rolf was born in the month associated with the Warrior" Edd explained, which left Hadvar puzzled "Oh, sorry, months are also referred to as seasons"

"Then, which months are these birthsigns related to?" Sarah asked as she pointed at the stones.

Edd's face stiffened as he realised a major flaw in his knowledge of Tamrialic astronomy, before loosening his collar with his hand.

"I uh... never got around to that yet" he replied meekly, causing a large scale face palm to occur amongst the group.

"_It's always the little things_" Marie sighed mentally.

"Guys, it simple, we'll just take turns trying out all the stones and see if any of us are born under them or not" Nazz suggested before turning towards her boyfriend "Right, Kevin?"

Almost immediately he began to sweat over what to do. After he got over his adoration for his bike, the only thing that he cared about these days aside from Nazz was his pride. And to be born under the two remaining birthsigns would be disastrous for his image as a strong man. But if he didn't go ahead with it, he knew he'd make Nazz upset, and after seeing what she did to his bike when he ignored her during that fateful summer, he considered being born under the Mage or Thief to be the lesser of two evils.

"_Still, at least she isn't hot-headed like Sarah_" he thought, and without saying a word, Kevin walked over to the Mage stone and placed his hand on the carvings.

"_Please light up, please light up, please light up_!" Eddy screamed mentally as he crossed is fingers in both hands.

To Eddy's disappointment, the stone didn't respond and when the same thing happened with the Thief stone, Kevin walked back to Nazz's side before looking towards the male Bosmer.

"Care to have another go, shrimp?" Kevin taunted as he thumbed in the direction of the Mage stone.

"Oh ha ha" Eddy answered back, eyeing between the last two stones.

On one hand he could pick the 'nerdy' one, and on the other there was the one that best embodied his childhood.

"_I swear if I hear someone say I'm between a rock and a hard place, I'll knock their teeth out_" he growled mentally as he went over, placed his hand against the Mage stone and closed his eyes.

When there wasn't a bright blue light trying to break through his eyelids, Eddy opened them and saw the stone behaving indifferently to him. After a sigh of relief, Eddy decided to mock Kevin. But as he turned to face him, he tripped on one of the tree roots and stumbled backwards until he bumped into something. When he recovered, Eddy reached behind him to get back up, and noticed he was still standing. Looking back, he saw the spiral grooves glowing on the stone he was leaning on. And when he lowered his eyes, there laid the carved symbol of the Thief.

His blood froze as he feared the worst case scenario would occur, making him look like a complete idiot and a complete fraud at the same time. The humiliation made only worse by his 'friends' laughing at his expense would be unbearable. Yet as he stared at the crowd in front, all he heard was silence. And it wasn't just them. His focus returned to the Thief Stone, but more specifically the dots and lines. They weren't glowing or humming as they should, but Eddy was, as was clearly shown when, a minute later, he stood up and strutted back to the gang with a smug smile on his face.

"Looks like your accuracy is the one that's bent, Boxhead" he boasted as he walked past Kevin, who was fuming from the unentertaining result.

"So, who is next?" Edd questioned.

"Me, I wanna try the Warrior one!" May shouted excitedly as she dashed forward, but was halted by her eldest sister, who grabbed her long blonde hair and pulled her back.

"No one is going to do anything unless I go first" Lee barked as she looked May in the eye.

"Yeah" Marie added "Unless I get there first" at which the Dunmer ran ahead of them.

Soon the Kankers were bickering with each other over who should go first amongst them. This made everyone else rush off of the platform and back onto the road, opting to wait it out. Edd decided to use this time to interview their only successful graduate so far.

"How do you feel, Rolf?" Edd inquire, hoping to find out what powers were granted to him, given that the birthsigns tended to grant different ones over the years.

"Rolf is honoured to be born under such a noble mark. The ancients smile on the son of a shepard" he replied proudly as he stared up to the sky.

"Show-off" Eddy muttered.

"You seem to have a cultural fascination with astronomy, Rolf" Edd stated, causing the blue-haired Imperial to give glance at him.

"Sorry, not so sharp-witted Ed-boy, but Rolf can't make up for your lack of wisdom. Only the village elders were thought the secrets of the heavens" he responded while patting the male Breton on the head as if he was an innocent child.

"Don't let it get yourself down, Double D. We saw a Birthsign react to one of our palls. How amazing is that?" Plank cheered.

"He's right. I visited the Guardian Stones when I was a child and didn't get anything like what your friend just did there" Hadvar assured them.

"As much as I'd like to celebrate, we still don't understand what powers and abilities these magic stones are capable of. I've read many books stating that they have a renowned reputation to change the gifts they grant in as little as a few years" Edd stated.

Just then, the gang heard a loud whack, followed by May stumbling off of the platform with a black eye on the right side of her face.

"I was only trying to cheer them up" she mumbled as she fell onto her side.

"Well, that was a waste of time" Lee complained as she and her sisters marched off of the platform and back onto the road.

"No luck?" Ardan questioned.

"What do ya think, Ghost-boy?" Marie barked, before picking her the blonde Bosmer up by the collar and shaking her awake.

"Let's chuck some stones in the lake!" May suggested, picking up some loose pebbles from the side of the road and heading for the height beside the river "Whoever makes the biggest splash wins!"

"Oh, we'll play your little game, May" Marie agreed as she looked towards her elder sister, sharing a sinister glare.

"Yeah, we found the biggest rock in the world" Lee sneered as they walked up to May, rubbing her hands.

"My turn!" Ed yelled as he grabbed Ardan and Nazz by the hand and dragged them to the menhirs.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Kevin shouted as he ran after them, leaving Eddy to laugh at their shenanigans, and others to follows them.

"Let's have a crack at it, Plank" Jonny cheered as the duo went to see if they were born under the Guardian birthsigns.

"We can't stay here all day. The Legion could be coming down the hill at any moment" Jimmy whimpered, looking back at the rocky ledge and the road leading up to it.

"I agree, but we're not far from Riverwood, it's just a short distance down the river. If they do get close, we'll just have to make a run for it" Hadvar reassured, when suddenly a familiar blue light shone from the platform.

"What the heck is that?!" Marie yelled, as her body stiffened while holding May's arm and leg from one side with Lee on the other in their stalled bid to toss their youngest half-sibling into the river.

What they saw was Kevin, Ed and Nazz watching the Warrior stone as its carvings glowed and porthole glowed and beam skyward, all while Ardan held his hand against its grey rugged surface. Being so close to the glowing sceptical, Nazz held her hands up to shield her eyes from the blinding light, but it didn't help much and left her vision blurred. As she staggered away, Ed stood still, showing no sign of movement as he watched in awe.

After the light show was over, everyone was puzzled as to why Ardan and Rolf had received the exact same sign. A whole barrage of questions formed in their heads, and before they could say a word, one person spoke up.

"Of course, Rolf and Ardan were born in the same month" Edd recalled, chuckling as he looked back at all the fun parties they had over the years, until he felt someone grab him by the collar and pulled him down to Eddy's level.

"You just had to rub it in, didn't ya?" he snarled as he shook his fist in front of the terrified spellcaster.

"Aaah, shut up!" Lee yelled.

Turning to his right, Eddy's response was cut short as May collided with him in mid-air and knocked him onto his back.

"Yeah, it's not like we had other things to worry about, Flathead" Sarah agreed.

"Cut it out, guys, I'm just as confused as everyone else" Ardan responded, but his words fell on deaf ears.

"How could you forget those awesome birthday parties, two in the same week?" Eddy argued.

"Eddy, please, we don't need any more trouble as it is" Edd pleaded, but was also ineffective in stopping the quarrel.

"Then I'm going to make sure you don't forget what we just went through" Kevin snarled, his hand itching to swing his mace at the male Wood Elf's jaw.

"Kevin?" Nazz called out.

Disrupted by the female voice, everyone looked around to find its source. The blonde Breton in question was unable to tell where she was due to her blurred vision, and was wondering around with her arms held out. Eventually Nazz walked into something, using her hands to stop her from colliding with what she thought was her boyfriend.

"Ah, there you are" she said.

Instead of hearing Kevin ask what was wrong with her, she heard a strange sound. It was a mix of wind chimes and burning campfires, yet she swore she heard it somewhere before. All of a sudden, a bright light blocked out what was left of her fuzzy vision. She closed her eyes and turned to get away, but her hand felt as if it was glued to something, causing her to panic.

What the rest of the gang could see was Nazz trying to pull her hand off of the glowing Standing Stone that she had mistaken for Kevin. Everyone was baffled and at how she seemed unable to remove her hand from the menhir, but Kevin was worried. Something wasn't right.

The red-headed Nord rushed to her aid and tried to pull her hand from whatever was keeping it attached to the Guardian Stone, but with no success. He knew if he went all out, he would risk injuring or even breaking her wrist. Just as he was about to lose hope, he noticed the light was beginning to slowly fade away. At the same time, he noticed her hand was starting to slowly peel away from the stone. With no complaints of injury coming from Nazz, he resumed the struggle until it was removed from the magical stone. Holding onto her freed hand, he guided her back to the road.

"Uh, my eyes" Nazz groaned as she rubbed her closed eyelids.

"Are you ok, babe?" Kevin asked, causing the girl to tighten her grip upon hearing that undeniably familiar voice.

"Kevin, oh thank god!" she cried with joy as she hugged him, despite her vision having not fully restored yet "I was watching the lake when that bright light blinded me, and when I was looking for you, something grabbed hold of me. What happened?"

"It's ok, Nazz, you just got a little lost. But…" Kevin reassured.

"But what?" she asked.

Just then, she heard the strange sound beginning to quieten down. Looking back, she tried to focus on the light that was slowly fading away. At the last second, she managed to identify the object to be a glowing menhir, the Mage constellation carved on it being the last to finish its illumination.

"Awesome, someone got another stone working. Who was it?" she questioned in a happy tone.

"Don't look at me. I got nothing from any of them, not even the cool guy with the hood" Jonny responded as he thumbed towards the Thief Stone behind him.

"Same here" Plank added.

With both the Redguard and the Argonian off the list of candidates, she turned to the Orc.

"404 error" Ed blurted.

"Ah, but fortune has smiled on Ardan. For he, like Rolf, was born under the stars of the noble Warrior" the blue-haired Imperial declared as he walked over and placed his hand on Ardan's shoulder.

"So, who is it?" Nazz squeaked, eagerly waiting for the answer.

"Nazz, you're the one who activated the Mage Stone" Edd responded.

To say that Nazz was surprised would be an understatement. She stood there silently as the words repeated in her head. She was destined to be a spellcaster, and yet she wasn't sure how to feel about it. It was both exciting and terrifying; exciting given there was so much she could do, and terrifying due to the dangers involved with certain spells.

"To each man or woman their own, it's not for me to judge" Hadvar commented.

"Don't worry, Nazz. I'm sure Edd will be able to teach you a few things" Jimmy assured as he turned to the male Breton standing nearby.

"Me? But I'm just getting acquainted to the arts of magic myself" Edd fretted.

"Well then, you better start studying" Nazz responded calmly, gaining everyone's attention "Who knows how many of us could be shooting fireballs or healing wounds, or anything for that matter"

With that; Nazz, Jonny, Ardan, Kevin, Rolf, Plank and Ed left the platform and joined the others on the road. Edd quickly got rid of the blush on his cheeks and made a head count of those yet to see if they were born under the Guardian signs. Quickly, he discovered that only himself, Sarah and Jimmy were the last ones standing, with Eddy being the only one spectating as the others either contemplate or gripe over their results.

"Um... ladies first" Edd prompted as he gestured towards the menhirs.

Sarah looked at him for a second, and noticed he had his eyes closed. Whether out of modesty, or fear she may lash out at him was unknown. With a smile on her face, she proceeded. As Edd heard her footsteps getting slightly faint ahead of him, he was put at ease that any immediate pain was not foreseeable. When he felt something grab his outstretched wrist however, and saw Sarah looking him in the eye with that evil grin of hers, he felt his eyes shrink into nothing.

"Please, I insist" she said in her evil tone.

Suddenly Edd felt his arm jerk, as Sarah pulled him towards her violently. At the last second, she sidestepped out of his way, still holding onto his wrist, as she placed her other hand against Edd's back. With both hands, she shoved the male Breton with all her might, causing him to stumble forward at breakneck speed towards the Mage Stone.

"Ahhh!" he cried as he collided with the decorated structure, his hands managing to reduce the impact, though not all of it, as his head banged of the side of it.

As he stood up seeing mental stars fly around his head, the Mage stone he was leaning against remained dormant.

"You know, when people say you should be polite, it doesn't mean you can hurt them in the end!" Eddy shouted, clearly not happy with how violent Sarah was treating the highbrow of the group.

"Just giving Double D a helping hand" Sarah responded innocently as she walked onto the platform with Jimmy not far behind, leaving a fuming Eddy on the road.

"Oh yeah, well then I'll just give you a helping laugh when you end up with the Nerd Stone you Spoiled Br-"

Eddy's bragging was silenced when two rocks the size of a ping pong ball hit him on the front and back of his head, a result from Sarah and Nazz respectably.

As Nazz resumed her chat with Kevin, Sarah returned to the Warrior Stone to find Jimmy holding his hand on the carvings, but with no success in gaining its approval. It didn't surprise her, considering Jimmy's reputation for being the weakest person in the cul-de-sac, apart from Edd. Instead, Jimmy let out a simple sigh and started walking towards the Mage Stone, which surprised Sarah.

Normally when things didn't work out for him, Jimmy would cry his eyes out and get Sarah to make it all better, usually through brute force or blackmail. Yet here he was, accepting the star's response, and moving onto the next Guardian Stone.

"What the hell is eating him up?" Sarah whispered, as she went over to the Warrior Stone and touched it.

Jimmy knew it was useless trying to argue with mystical beings, even if you had Sarah on your side. He also felt it would be a waste of time for all of his friends, especially as he feared the Imperial Legion might land on top of them at any minute. Looking up at the cliffs above them, he sighed in relief at no sign of their pursuers.

With that, he decided to check on Edd before having a go at the Mage Stone.

"Are you alright, Double D?" he asked as he placed his hand on Edd's shoulder.

"Uh, I am. T-Thank you, Jimmy" he stammered as his vision returned.

With that, Jimmy turned his attention to the Mage Stone and placed his hand on it, then waited for the result.

At the same time, Edd noticed something behind the Mage Stone. Beneath a small pile of rocks the size of a molehill was a flat object. He went over and managed to push the rocks aside to reveal a book. It was covered in dust, and after a quick clean it revealed a purple hardback with no words. When he opened it, he read the title page, which made his eyes widen and his mind race at the speed of light.

"_My word, this is just what we need!_" he screamed mentally as he turned the pages.

Meanwhile, Jimmy turned towards the central menhir and reached out to touch it.

"This sucks!" Sarah shouted, causing Edd and Jimmy to jump in fright.

The Khajiit was so startled, he tripped on the large root in front of him causing him to stumble, unaware of where he was heading into.

Meanwhile, Edd had recovered and kept his head hidden within the pages of his book. As he absorbed the information, he knew he miraculously come across the answers to their questions.

"OW!" cried a feminine feline voice nearby.

As Sarah and Edd looked to see who it was, they were blinded by a bright blue beam shooting skyward. This caught the rest of the gang's attention. Even Eddy had managed to regain conscious just as the spectacle was at its brightest, and soon everyone had once again gathered at near the platform. When it was over, all they had left was Jimmy lying face down on the ground, with his hand just barely touching a menhir.

And when they saw which one it was, there was silence, for a microsecond. The peace was broken by the laughter of a certain male Bosmer as he fell onto his back. Even the other boys couldn't help sniggering at what they saw.

Jimmy managed looked up at them, confused as to what was so funny. When he looked ahead of him, he saw a menhir directly ahead of him, with his hand against it. Guessing by the look on Sarah's face, he must have done something big. He wondered what Guardian Stone he was in front of, but he couldn't tell as he was looking at the thin blank side. Once he stood up and got to the front, he felt his heart stop. Slowly, the dots and lines faded to reveal the hooded figure with the dagger and moneybag carved into the menhir.

"Wow, Goody Two-shoes got the Thief!" Kevin announced as he joined Eddy in a laughing frenzy.

Soon, everybody except Edd, Nazz, Hadvar and Rolf broke out in laughter at the flamboyant teen's misery.

Jimmy felt tears build up in his eyes. Immediately, Sarah ran up to him and hugged him, but he didn't respond. She was about to let go and roll up her metaphorical sleeves upon the laughing crowd when a familiar cough alerted everyone.

"Excuse me, Jimmy, but you shouldn't see this as a bad thing" Edd explained while keeping one arm behind his back.

"But it's the Thief you maggot!" Sarah growled.

"Yes, but it is only stereotypical to view it as the destiny of a less honest life" he added, before bring his arm around to reveal the book he found earlier and to read it out "Those born under the sign of the Thief are not typically thieves, though they take risks more often and only rarely, come to harm"

After those words, Eddy stopped laughing and sat up, before bolting over to Edd.

"That ain't true, a Thief's a Thief" he barked as he repeatedly poked Edd's nose smugly, hoping no one believed the egghead's explanation.

"Takes one to know one" Edd responded and walked towards the group, leaving a humiliated Eddy poking at thin air.

"Does it say what powers the Guardian Stones can grant to us?" Jimmy queried.

"Yes, and No" he replied, which left everyone puzzled "I've actually read this book back in Cyrodiil, and it doesn't contain a lot of information on the powers and abilities the birthsigns can bestow upon us. It just gives a description of what personalities are associated with each birthsign. For example, it says those born under the Warrior are 'prone to short tempers' and those under the Mage are 'often arrogant and absent-minded'"

"See, I told you. It's out of date. If it were true, then Sarah and I would have had the Warrior Stone shining like a Christmas tree. Hell, Jonny and the Kankers fit well with the Mage!" Eddy complained, leaving everyone lost for words.

"I'm guessing Eddy took the words right from your mouth, Double D?" Ardan asked, the male Breton giving the impression that he might be right.

"And there for, Jimmy IS a rotten thief! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" he finished, cackling out loud as he pointed at the Khajiit, until Sarah gave him a right hook knocking him to the ground.

"Nope" Edd replied stoically at the usual result of Eddy's intelligence "Anyway, I'm sure the rest of you have noticed that it doesn't offer any answers, but then I found this"

The crowd watched as Edd turned the open book towards them and slowly flicked through the pages until he reached the end of the book. There they saw smaller handwritten words instead of the printed versions in the rest of the book, etched onto the right-hand page that was glued onto the hardback cover, with the left-hand page left blank.

"Normally I would frown upon such vandalism in the name of literature, but it appears the person who owned this book had the same questions as us. And decided to investigate" he finished, which left everyone looking at him with faces of hope.

"Go on" Lee insisted, to which Edd turned the book back in his direction and began reading the handwritten words.

_Day 1_

_That Old Nord in Bruma was right. After a bitterly cold trip through the Pale Pass, I followed the road to where 'the river meets the lake'. And there I found the Guardian Stones. What the old drunken warrior didn't tell me was that there was not one, but three of these birthsigns here. But I'm in Skyrim, and he's probably still sleeping at the tavern. According to this book and the carvings on the monoliths, they are the Warrior, the Mage and the Thief. Now I'll have to find someone who knows what these things can do._

_Day 2_

_Helgen is the closest town to the stones. Even so, none of the locals I've met seem to even know that they exist. Luckily the tavern keeps this place connected to the rest of the province, and the innkeeper definitely had a lot of information in regards to these 'Guardian Stones' thanks to travellers coming through here. After ordering a few drinks for both of us, me paying of course, the innkeeper spilt everything he knew about them, along with some ale._

_Simply put, if you were born in the right season, and you find the right stone, you'll get a 'gift from the gods'. _

_These ones in particular make learning certain skills faster. As it goes:_

_The Warrior helps you learn combat skills faster, such as Heavy Armour, Melee Weapons, and working with metal-based items._

_The Mage helps you learn magic skills faster, which includes all the schools of magic and almost anything related to it._

_The Thief helps you learn stealth skills faster, allowing one to utilise the shadows, bows, light armour and a silver tongue to get the job done._

_Once I've memorised this, I'll be back in the Imperial City on hire as a guide to the birthsigns, at least for three of them. Just need to pick the right customers. And who knows, maybe I'll find the rest along the way._

"So this guy was going to work as a tour guide?" Plank asked.

"In a way, yes; reminds me of one of Eddy's business ventures" Edd replied.

"Eddy's the man with the plan!" Ed declared cheerfully, which put a proud smile on the male Bosmer's face as he shot back up on his feet.

"Nah, that ain't something Flathead would come up with" Kevin stated.

"Yeah, that's way too smart for him to think of" Sarah added, causing everyone bar Hadvar and Ed to snigger.

"So what, even an honest businessman has to cut a few corners" Eddy remarked.

"If there were any corners in the first place" Edd reckoned as he closed the book with one hand "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to conclude this mystical investigation as soon as we can. I think we've spent more than enough time here"

With that, Edd went towards the Warrior Stone, leaving everyone else confused, except for one red-haired girl.

"You stay here, Jimmy. I'm going to finish this up real quick" Sarah stated, before heading over to the Thief Stone.

"How do we even know if these fancy powers actually work?" Lee asked in a brash tone.

"Only through struggle and thankless work" Rolf replied proudly.

"I hope the person in that book is right. Even with faster learning, I'm going to need all the help I can get" Nazz acknowledged.

"You and me both" Jimmy admitted.

While Sarah and Edd were moving onto their final Stones, after failing with their second attempt, Jonny looked up to the sky and saw something that worried him.

"No way, its midday already?" he muttered, but was heard by a curious Dunmer.

"How can you tell?" Marie asked inquisitively.

"The sun" he replied as he pointed up to the bright circle in the sky, catching everyone's attention.

"Come on. I'll feel better once we're undercover in Riverwood" Hadvar reckoned.

"Ready when you are" Edd insisted as he returned with Sarah, their final attempt having failed to show any response from the Stones.

With that, the gang resumed their decent down the hill as the road began to follow the river downstream.


	14. Chapter 13

A/N: Please visit my profile for announcements and news on updates.

Hadvar led the group as they walked downhill. The river to their left was the opposite of the peaceful lake they saw earlier, as it went over a waterfall split in two by a rock in the middle. The water crashed down on the rocks below, causing a huge mist to spray upwards leaving the odd droplet of water onto the gang.

"Wowsers" Jonny exclaimed.

"And to think we were gonna chuck May in there" Lee commented, though it was hard to tell if she was worried about her half-sister's safety, or just upset at missing the chance see the dimmest Kanker's reaction for her own amusement.

The river showed no signs of calming down, as it turned into fierce rapids that outpaced the gang as it flowed down the trench it carved between the mountains.

"And I thought the creek was dangerous" Jimmy muttered as he remembered the time he and Jonny paid to join the Ed's cruise down the stream near the cul-de-sac.

"Hadvar," Edd spoke as he rushed forward and walked beside him "While we are all grateful for your help, we can't just flee from the Legion forever. Is there a way to get legal repentance from the Imperial justice system and prove the charges of treason against us are over exaggerated?"

"Listen, as far as I'm concerned you've already earned your pardon. But until we get that confirmed by General Tullius, just stay clear of other Imperial soldiers and avoid any complications, alright?" he responded, earning a nod from some of them.

"If he's still alive" Eddy groaned as tried to readjust the leather belts of his loot bag.

Kevin was holding hands with Nazz, who hasn't said a word since they left the Guardian Stones. He wanted to say something, anything to support her.

"Do you think I'll be able to be a good Mage?" she asked.

"Relax babe, we have Gandalf here to deal with all that magic stuff. And you have that Mage Stone to help you out as well" he replied caringly.

"But how will I know it works?" she pressured, bringing up Lee's conversation from earlier.

"If you don't fall asleep from his real lectures" he sniggered as he finished his sentence, causing Nazz to giggle.

"Yeah, I could even be as powerful as him as his apprentice" she laughed.

Up ahead, Marie was within hearing distance of the couple, and she didn't like what they said one bit.

"_We'll see about that_" Marie snarled mentally.

Soon they reached a second split waterfall that was smaller than its predecessor. As the road straightened, Rolf took in the sights and breathed in the fresh mountain air, but didn't exhale. Instead, he froze on the spot and held his arm out to stop Ed.

"The air reeks of a familiar foe" he cautioned in a hushed tone as he unsheathed his blade.

Heeding his words, Ed drew his sword and waited, which left Sarah, Jonny, Plank and Jimmy stuck behind them.

"What's the holdup?" Plank asked, but Rolf and Edd shushed him.

Looking back, May saw her crush and some of the gang had stopped. She was about to tell them to catch up, but then something caught her attention.

"Doggies!" she cried excitedly.

Everyone in front spun on their heels and followed the direction of the female Bosmer's line of sight. Up on the rocky ledge they saw a four-legged creature with dark grey fur, pointy ears and sharp teeth.

"It's a freaking wolf!" Eddy shrieked.

The beast howled, and was then joined by two others on either side. The pack then ran for the narrow slip of earth that led down the ledge to the road.

"Ambush!" Edd yelled.

As they readied their weapons the pack split up, one heading for the back of the column and the other two going for the front.

"In the name of the Great Shepard Elders, SLAHORN!" he yelled as he charged, just as the feral creature leaped towards him.

Just as it was ready to latch its jaws on Rolf's face, the blue-headed Imperial struck the wolf on the nose with a hard vertical strike and kicking it back to give him distance. As it rebounded from its flesh wound, Ed ran in and hit the beast on the head with his blade, the first one cutting into its fur and a second cracked its skull. After falling to the ground from its concussion, Rolf stabbed it in the neck and twisted his sword. Once the wolf no longer drew any breath, he withdrew it and went to deal with the remaining two with Ed at his side.

While this was happening, the rest of the gang were unable to find a way to strike down their foes. Arrows were useless as they risked hitting their friends as they held the wolves back with melee weapons. They were also quick on their feet, able to evade swings and counter their attacks, forcing them on the defence. When the rest of their friends arrive, one wolf turns to face them. With the numbers on their side; Kevin, Marie, Hadvar, Lee and Ardan attacked the lone wolf facing them. It responded by snarling and leaping into the crowd.

"Argh!" Marie cried as she felt a set of sharp teeth sink into the front of her right arm, where her gauntlet left her exposed.

Despite the enormous pain caused by the vice-like jaws, she held onto her dagger and punched the wolf on the chin with her left hand. Yet the creature didn't give any ground and instead tries to shake its prey's limb off. After the gang got over the initial shock, they surrounded the wolf and gave it everything they had. Lee and Hadvar aimed for its hind legs, while Kevin and Ardan went for the head and torso respectively. After several strikes, the wolf finally let go of its catch, allowing Marie to slash its throat and roll away from the blood that spurted onto the road. They then looked behind to see Ed, Sarah and Rolf beating finishing off the final wolf with three swords piercing its chest. A silence hung in the air until everyone gathered their breath, and the questions began.

"Why on earth would they attack us, wolves usually prey on smaller lone creatures" Edd pondered.

"Rolf sneers at these two pups, as their brains are softer than that of the noodle-head Ed-boy" the male Imperial explained.

"And what about this fleabag here, 'cause it sure ain't a pup" Marie hissed as she grasped her wounded arm.

"Pack leaders are usually the oldest and the strongest in the group. You're lucky you didn't lose your hand" Hadvar responded as he wiped his sword with some grass, before returning it to its sheath.

"Here, let me help you with that" Nazz offered as she pulled out a roughspun shirt from her knapsack.

"It's nothing, I've had worse" she rejected as she pulled her arm out of the female Breton's reach, not wanting to be seen as weak in front of everyone, especially by her rival "_She thinks she can look good to Edd by poor little me and my scratch"_

"She's gotta point, Marie, that looks like it really hurt" Lee agreed as she pointed at the puncher wounds caused by the wolf's teeth.

"It's just a flesh wound!" she yelled angrily, her hand failing to stop the blood slowly oozing out of her arm.

"But you still have your arm" Ed corrected.

"Come on, Marie, you need medical attention. Let Nazz tend to your arm or you could get gangrene" Edd warned.

"What's that?" Jonny asked.

"It makes your limbs fall off" Ardan replied bluntly as he fixed the battle axe onto his back, leaving some people shivering at the thought, and Jimmy fainting into Sarah's arms.

"Fine" Marie sighed as she let go of her arm and followed Nazz as she led her to a nearby log and sat down on it.

"While I'm busy making some bandages," she said as she began to tear the roughspun shirt into long strips "You can wash your wound in the river. Don't want you to get infected"

Marie huffed as she removed her gauntlets, before she went over and dipped her arm into the water, shivering as the cold liquid bit into the numerous holes that formed an arch on both sides of her arm.

"I'll go and make sure there are no more surprises on the road ahead" Hadvar announced as went on down the road, leaving the rest of the gang to stand around and wait.

After washing off the wolf saliva and dried blood, Marie went back and sat down next to Nazz, who had just finished making the bandages.

"Now, let's see" the blonde Breton spoke as she lifted the Dunmer's hand and inspected the wound "Good, looks like the bleeding has stopped"

"Just get it over with, Florence" Marie snapped.

Not wanting to delay any longer, Nazz began to wrap a long piece of roughspun cloth around the lower arm.

"Ahem!" Edd coughed, gaining everyone's attention, although Nazz resumed working as she listened "Now that Hadvar is out of our hearing distance, I suggest that we should have a cover story for anyone we meet in the village or any future encounters"

"What on earth are you blabbing about?" Sarah queried as she shook Jimmy awake.

"He's right. If we just told them we're from another world, they'll think were bonkers" Kevin agreed.

"Ok then genius, what's our cover story gonna be?" Lee asked smugly.

"I recommend that we claim to be from Cyrodill, as it is more believable for a group as diverse as ours to originate from. As for our false incarceration, we should claim to be guilty of border crossing, but were wrongly declared to be rebels by a corrupt Imperial officer" Edd proposed.

"Are you crazy? We'd still end up in jail for that" Eddy argued.

"Better than ending up on the chopping block" Rolf cautioned in a wise tone.

"And who said we have to tell everyone about us being busted by the Legion anyway. That's unless Flathead can keep his mouth shut" Kevin bragged.

"Hey, I'm a wiz at coming up with alibis" Eddy barked back.

"Thanks, but I like Double D's simple story" Plank responded.

"Same here" Jonny added as he raised his hand, soon followed by almost everyone else.

"Aw come on, I've got a good one" Eddy moaned, but was suddenly pulled back by someone grabbing onto his three long hair strands.

That someone was Marie, who was looking him eye to eye with an irritated look on her face. Looking up, Eddy could see the newly bandaged arm that was preventing his escape.

"And I've got a good one as well. It's shut the hell up!" Marie yelled, causing the male Bosmer to sweat bullets.

After a few rapid nods, she let go and pushed him aside and returned to her half-siblings, while Nazz went back to her boyfriend.

"Well, now that we have all that sorted out, shall we check on Hadvar?" Edd concluded.

"Rolf wishes to stay behind for a moment"

"What for, we're done here" Eddy stated.

"Rolf has to gather the trophies" he replied as he drew his dagger and walked over to the wolf carcases, resulting in everyone following the road uphill in search of Hadvar.

When they reached the top of the small hill, they saw Hadvar at the bottom where the ground was level with the river, his eyes scouting the nearby hills for any signs of danger.

"Ah, there you are" he said as he noticed them "I'm glad you decided to come with me. We're almost to Riverwood"

"And about damn time as well" Sarah grumbled.

"My little feet are hurting so bad" Jimmy whimpered.

"Let us not waist anytime then. Lead on, Hadvar" Edd declared.

With their guide leading the way, the gang continued down the road as it hugged against the ledge to their right. Once passed, they noticed a stone wall with wooden rampart and roof that stretched from left to right with an arch made for the road and its travellers to pass through.

"So this is Riverwood?" Kevin queried.

"Sure looks kinda small for a town" May chimed.

As they approached the arch, they spotted several multiple wooden buildings with thatched roofs left, right and centre.

"Things look quite enough here" Hadvar commented as he looked towards the building in the centre and noticed someone "Come on. There's my uncle"

As they followed Hadvar, they noticed a large waterwheel attached to a building across the river. All the buildings along the road had a wooden sidewalks, one of them even had a balcony that doubled as shade for those bellow. To their left, there was a house with a front porch that extends to a thatched open space beside it in their direction. A sign depicting a horseshoe, anvil and tools with 'Blacksmith' written on it explained the faint smoke emitting from within it. A man was busy hitting something with a hammer.

"Uncle Alvor! Hello!" Hadvar greeted as he walked up the steps to the porch, the man immediately dropped what he was doing and turned to face him.

They noticed that he was far older than Hadvar, with thick hair ending just over his shoulders and a thick beard on his chin, both of which colour wise were borderline between light brown and blonde. He wore a red shirt with black armbands, brown pants and boots. A black leather apron lay over his clothing, held in place by shoulder straps and a belt.

"Hadvar, what are you doing here? Are you on leave from…"

He was about to give his nephew a hug when he noticed the dried blood and cuts on his armour. The bandage on his left arm made him even more concerned.

"Shor's bones, what happened to you, boy? Are you in some kind of trouble?" Alvor fretted.

"Shh… Uncle, please. Keep your voice down" Hadvar whispered as he looked left and right "I'm fine, but we should go inside to talk"

"What's going on?" he asked, before noticing the small group on the road staring at them, shortly joined by a blue-haired Imperial carrying some wolf pelts under his arm "And who's this?"

"They're friends, saved my life in fact" he responded as he introduced them "Come on, I'll explain everything, but we need to go inside"

"Okay, okay. Come inside then. Sigrid will get you something to eat and you can tell me all about it" he said as he calmed down, before heading for the building to his left with Hadvar and his friends following him.

"A dragon, I saw a dragon!"

Everyone jumped in surprise and turned around to find an old lady wearing a brown dress and white hat fearfully watching the sky from the house closest to the wall. The door opened as a young man in brown and blue clothing walked out and confront her.

"What? What is it now, mother?" he asked, his tone suggesting that this wasn't the first time she reacted this way.

"It was as big as the mountain, and black as night. It flew right over the barrow" she stammered while pointing in the direction of the wonder carved into the rock high above them.

"Dragons now, is it? Please, mother, if you keep on like this everyone will think you're crazy. And I've got better things to do than listen to more of your fantasies" he complained.

Edd let out a sigh of relief. The last thing they needed was gaining the attention of the Imperial Legion, and panicking locals is something they didn't need.

"You'll see! It was a dragon! It'll kill us all and then you'll believe me!" she warned as her son left her and returned into the building he came from.

Alvor opened the door as he led his guests into his home. There they saw a young girl warming herself by a stone fireplace to the left. She immediately got excited when her eyes fell on Hadvar, and even more so when she saw the mix of people accompanying him.

"Sigrid, we have company!" he called out as he made his way to a dining table opposite the fireplace.

At the far left wall, they saw a woman with long brown hair in a beige dress and apron walk up the stairs that led to the cellar.

"Hadvar, we've been so worried about you!" she gasped as she went over and hugged him "Come, you all must be hungry. Sit down and I'll get you something to eat"

"Why thank you, madam" Edd replied.

As Sigrid went over to the shelves between the dining table and the stairs to prepare their meal, the rest of the gang saw the little girl run over to the double bed opposite the front door and sat on the edge, prompting Sarah and Jimmy to join in. The Kankers were busy pushing each other aside to nab the two chairs on the right side of the room next to a small table. Nazz and Kevin sat down on a small single bed, which they presumed was for the little girl. The rest of the gang remained standing while Edd joined Alvor and Hadvar at the dining table, taking the seat looking towards the right side of the room.

"Now then, boy, what's the big mystery? What are you doing here, looking like you lost an argument with a cave bear?" Alvor asked as he sat on the chair next to the wall, two dear heads mounted high above him.

"Well, you're half right" Ardan admitted.

"He's right; it does involve a cave bear. But that's not the mystery" Eddy added in a fast tone as he finally removed the loot on his back, with the help of Ed, and dropped it on the floor like a tone of bricks.

"So what is it then uncle Hadvar?" the girl asked, who was just as curious as Alvor.

"Dorthe, stay quiet or I'll have you cleaning the dishes" Sigrid retorted, causing the girl to pout "Continue"

"I don't know where to start. You know I was assigned to General Tullius's guard" Hadvar reminded, his uncle giving him a nod as he picked up a loaf of bread "We were stopped in Helgen when we were attacked… by a dragon"

Alvor dropped his bread when he heard the last word. Sigrid was also stunned by the news as she stopped just as she was passing her nephew-in-law with a large wooden bowl of vegetables in her arms.

"A dragon?" he repeated in disbelief "That's… ridiculous. You aren't drunk, are you boy?"

"Husband, let him tell his story" Sigrid remarked as she walked over to the cooking pot filled with boiling water at the fireplace and placed the bowl down on the ground, before chopping the vegetables into the pot one by one.

"Nothing much more to tell, this dragon flew over and just wrecked the whole place; mass confusion. I don't know if anyone else got out alive. I doubt I'd have made it out myself if not for my friends here" he continued as he gestured towards the gang.

"And neither would we without your help, Hadvar" Edd added.

"Thanks, but right now I need to get back to Solitude and tell them what's happened. I thought you could help us out; food, supplies, a place to stay" he explained, the gang waiting silently for the blacksmith's response.

"Of course, any friend of Hadvar's is a friend of mine. I'm glad to help however I can" he responded, leaving everyone sighing in relief "But I must ask; what was General Tullius doing in Helgen?"

"We had captured Ulfric Stormcloak just a few days ago, and were about to execute him when that dragon showed up" Hadvar answered.

"Gods above, I never thought they would manage to capture the man himself. He is always one step ahead, until now at least" Alvor surmised.

"What's the big deal with him anyway?" Sarah bragged in an annoyed tone "Ulfric this, Ulfric that, it's all about Ulfric"

"Ah, right. They said you were captured crossing the border" Hadvar explained, ending the awkward silence.

"I figured as much. Especially since some of you are wearing some rather unusual armour" Alvor commented.

The gang looked at each other, the leather and metal armour they looted from the Imperials soldiers was one thing, but they realised that Jimmy and Ardan's rebel attire was a dead giveaway.

"Here, let me fix that" Sigrid offered, as she went over to the Khajiit and removed the dark blue sash that wrapped around his leather and chainmail outfit, before doing the same to Ardan and throwing them into the fire.

"So those scarves tell which side you're on?" Kevin asked.

"Each of the holds has their own colour and emblem. All of Ulfric's men wears the blue sash of Windhelm, his self-proclaimed capital" Sigrid replied as the returned to the cooking pot and began to stir the mixture as it bubbles fiercely.

"But why are the Nords fighting against the Empire?" Edd questioned.

"You haven't heard of the war in Skyrim?" Hadvar asked, the gang shaking their heads or shrugging their shoulders in response "I guess people down in Cyrodill people have other things to worry about"

"Yeah, plenty of things" Jimmy muttered.

"It's simple. Ulfric founded the Stormcloaks years ago, as a sort of private army to advance his ambitions. He's always used the ban on the worship of Talos to stir people up against the Empire" Hadvar described.

"Why would they ban Talos? Isn't he guy who conquered Tamriel?" Marie queried as she relaxed in her seat.

"It's all the stupid Thalmor's fault" Dorthe snapped, her eyes focused on Lee as she saw on the second chair with her Wood Elf sister rubbing her arm after their scuffle.

"Who are the Thalmor?" Jonny asked.

"This is going to take a while" Nazz stated stoically.

"Well, I'd better get back to work. Those swords aren't going to hammer themselves. Make yourselves at home" Alvor announced as he picked up his loaf and walked out the door, closing it behind him.

"Anyway, why is Talos worship outlawed?" Edd questioned, hoping to get things back on track.

"I guess that wasn't such a big deal elsewhere in the Empire, but here it's caused a lot of resentment. Native son and all that" Hadvar answered.

"Wait, you mean Talos is a Nordic god?" Plank asked in a baffled voice.

"Sounds a bit stupid to ban your own god" May agreed.

"Even I'll admit it hasn't been the Empire's finest hour. But it wasn't like the Emperor had any choice, did he? If he hadn't signed the peace treaty with the Thalmor, they would've destroyed the Empire – then were would Skyrim be?" he continued, his friends unable to come up with an answer as their minds tried to take it all in.

"That's the part Ulfric's supporters always conveniently forget about. Unless the Empire stands together, the Thalmor will destroy us all" he finished.

"Doesn't sound like too big of a deal to send an army after him" Eddy bleated.

"Not always, no. He never succeeded in gaining much support on the ban alone, so a few months ago, he murdered the High King! That got the Empire's attention" Hadvar exclaimed.

"Woah" Rolf and Ardan gasped, while the rest of the gang remained silent.

"What the heck is a High King?" Lee asked.

"A High King is a king who rules over a group of other kings" Ardan explained.

"The shamrock-boy is correct" Rolf agreed.

"And in this case, he also happens to be the ruler of Skyrim and is a member of the Elder Council" Edd added.

"Dang, no wonder you wanted to capture him" Sarah admitted.

"Speaking of it, how did you manage to pull it off?" Kevin questioned.

"A masterstroke by General Tullius, he's only been in charge for a few months, but he's turned things around for the Empire. We've been trying to capture Ulfric since the war started, but he always seemed to slip through our fingers…like he knew we were coming" Hadvar answered.

"The slippery rascal" Ed remarked.

"This time, the General turned the tables on him. Ulfric rode right into our ambush with only a few bodyguards. He surrendered pretty meekly too, so much for his death-or-glory reputation. I thought we were taking Ulfric to Cyrodill, but I guess the General had changed his mind. You know the rest" he continued.

A banging sound emitted as Sigrid tapped her wooden spoon on the edge of the cooking pot.

"Soup's ready. Gather around" Sigrid announced as she carried a stack of small wooden bowls in one arm and a handful of wooden spoons in the other.

As Hadvar and the gang breathed in with their noses, everyone sighed as they noticed the mouth-watering smell that filled the building. Sigrid delivered the first two bowls to Edd and Hadvar, before returning to the cauldron and pouring out more servings of golden vegetable soup as the rest of the gang formed a line reaching the right side of the house. Each person received their share and began tucking in as they returned to their seats.

"Wow, this is great" Nazz commented as she returned to the small bed with Kevin.

"Delicious" Jimmy praised.

"At least it tastes better than May's cooking" Lee remarked.

As they ate away, Eddy snatched a half loaf of bread that was lying on the table as he approached Edd.

"I don't get it, she cooked this stuff way too fast and it tastes good. I had to wait forever for soup to cook in my kitchen" Eddy whispered as he dipped the bread in the soup and munched it down.

"Open fires can produce far greater heat then the conventional methods we're used to" Edd explained.

While everyone was eating, Dorthe jumped off the bed and whizzed over to the Nord soldier.

"Hadvar, did you really see a dragon? What did it look like? Did it have big teeth?" she chattered while jumping in excitement.

"Hush, child. Don't pester your cousin" Sigrid snapped as she poured out another bowl and picked up a spoon "Here, give this to your father"

The little girl pouted and folded her arms, causing Hadvar to chuckle and pat her on the head.

"Go on. I'll tell you all about it as soon as you get back" he promised, and Dorthe grabbed the bowl of soup as she exited the building as fast as she could without spilling it.

"So who are these 'Thalmor' anyway?" Marie questioned as she and her half-sisters sat down on a wooden chest in front of the double bed.

"They're the rulers of the Aldmeri Dominion. They send their agents here to make sure that everyone obeys the treaty by arresting anyone who still worships Talos. Best to stay clear of them" Sigrid replied as she picked up her bowl of soup and sat down on the vacant chair at the dining table.

Dorthe soon returned, eager to listen to Hadvar's recent adventure.

"Very well, follow me" the Nord soldier conceded as he led her over to the two chairs at the right side of the room.

"I don't know how we can repay you for allowing us to stay in your home" Edd stated.

"Talk to my husband, I'm sure he could use some help at the forge" Sigrid responded.

"Rolf shall assist, after enjoying this lovely broth"

"More for belly please!" Ed blurted as he held out his empty bowl.

000

After everyone had their second helping of vegetable soup, Sigrid gathered up the bowls and stacked them in her arms with the spoons on top. Ed followed her with the now cooled cooking pot as he licked the last few drops. Rolf was closest to the door and politely opened it for them as they made their way out.

"Why are you bringing those wolf pelts with you, Rolf?" Sarah queried as she pointed the furs he was carrying.

"You'll soon find out, short-fused Sarah" Rolf replied, causing Eddy to snigger before the red-headed Imperial socked him in the jaw.

"I don't" May muttered, but the son of a Shepard heard her words and a mental candle lit up in his head.

"Bring your bear skin as well, buck-toothed Kanker" Rolf advised as he exited the house to the right and walked along the porch.

As the rest of the gang followed him, they looked to their left and saw Ed placing the cooking pot down at the edge of the river near a tall tree. Sigrid thanked him as she began washing the bowls in the water. Ed smiled as he returned to the others as they arrived at Alvor's forge. Inside they saw the blacksmith sharpening a sword on a grindstone, his right foot working the wooden peddle as he sat on the seat jutting out of the frame. To their left was a fire pit surrounded by a stone wall up to waist height, the smouldering embers crackling in an orange hue from recent use. To their right there was the table Alvor was working on when they arrived, only it looked like a huge metal block on a sturdy set of wooden legs with hammer and tools lying on top.

"Greetings, humble smithy" Rolf announced, gaining Alvor's attention "We would like to repay you for humbly taking us into your home in our time of misery"

"I should be the one thanking you for bringing my nephew back alive" Alvor remarked as he stood up and walked over to the table on his left.

"But why, we're the ones who needed your help to get the Imperial Legion off our backs" Kevin questioned.

"Normally I would call you mad for thinking that the Empire's armies combined are less of a danger than a single dragon, but to still be alive is a miracle itself" he continued as he placed the blade on the table next to some pieces of armour, before reaching over and picking up the cloth bag next to it "While you were eating, I found some things you might find useful. I never found the time to use them, so they're all yours"

Rolf approached the blacksmith and accepted his gift. He opened it and peeked inside, the gang quickly gathered around for a closer look. Inside they saw an assortment of bottles, clothes, vials and metal objects, thought they couldn't make out exactly what they were.

"Thank you, Alvor. How can we ever repay you for all your help?" Edd commended.

"Like I said, I'm glad to help in any way I can" he assured them "But I need your help. WE need your help"

"We're all ears" Ardan spoke.

"The Jarl needs to know if there's a dragon on the loose. Riverwood is defenceless" he explained.

"I was wondering why there aren't any guards around here" Plank commented.

"We need to get word to Jarl Balgruuf in Whiterun to send whatever soldiers he can. If you'll do that for me, I'll be in your debt" he concluded.

"But what if they get word that we're not in the Imperial Legion's good books?" Jonny queried.

"Don't worry. Jarl Balgruuf has kept Whiterun out of the war. The Empire can't lay a finger on you" he reassured them.

"Phew" they all sighed.

"But be careful, both the Legion and the Stormcloaks send out patrols to keep an eye on each other, and skirmishes between them aren't uncommon. They usually avoid the roads, but that just leaves bandits free reign to raid travellers" he added in a grave tone.

"Figures" Lee grumbled.

"How do we get to Whiterun?" Nazz asked, to which Alvor lead them out onto the road.

"Cross the river and then head north. You'll see it, just past the falls" he informed while pointing at the bridge up ahead outside the town walls "When you get to Whiterun just keep going up. When you get to the top of the hill, you're at Dragonsreach, the Jarl's palace"

"Great, more hill climbing" Marie groaned sarcastically.

"My feet still hurt" Jimmy whimpered as he sat down on the stairs leading to the porch and removed his boots, before rubbing his feline feet.

"We'll give the Jarl your message as soon as we can" Edd declared.

"Thank you, all of you. And please, if you feel too tired to leave straight away, feel free to stay the night in my home. I'm sure you will keep us safe during your stay, especially since you outsmarted one before" Alvor stated before slapping Edd on the shoulder.

"You wouldn't happen to have a better set of armour, do you? I mean, we don't want to be mistaken for legionaries, do we?" Eddy questioned as he pointed at the leather chest armour he was wearing.

"What is a blacksmith if he can't buy and sell his wares? Sadly I can't give them to you for free. I've got a family to feed" he answered.

"Fine, let me get the loot" Eddy grumbled as dragged Ed along with him and entered the building.

"Rolf has a question for you, humble metalworker"

"Go on" Alvor said.

"Would you allow us to use your fine workshop?"

"I see no harm in it, if you have the skill" Alvor approved as he lead him back up to the smithy "The grindstone will improve your weapons. Use the table to improve your armour. If you've got the raw materials, you can use the forge to make something new"

"Where do you prepare your animal furs to be made into leather?" Rolf asked as he indicated to the wolf pelts in his arm.

Alvor pointed to his left down where a small cart was parked next to the stairs. Next to it were three large barrels. They were as tall as the ones they saw earlier, but were much wider.

"The first one is for soaking," Alvor explained as he pointed at the one that was previously hidden "The second is for liming and the third is for tanning"

They were interrupted by Ed and Eddy heaving the pile of weapons and armour tied together in leather belts until it was just inside the forge and dropped it on the ground, causing the objects on the wooden table to rattle.

"Well, there you have it. Bring out the new kit" the male Bosmer boasted.

As Alvor began sorting out the gear, they heard a hammering sound as Rolf began opening the barrel closest to the stairs by removing the upper ring and removing the lid. Inside there were seven wooden beams hanging off a slot on either side, holding it just above the water that filled the barrel. The pink colour and rank smell caught the rest of the gang off guard. And when Rolf heaved out one of them, they saw a cow hide dangling from it by two metal hooks as it dripped onto the ground.

"Finely soaked, yes" Rolf commented as he inspected the wet, flabby hunk of fur.

"Dude, that reeks" Kevin complained as he held his nose.

"Come now, Kevin, if you can't stomach an animal hide soaked in water, you won't be much help with the liming" Rolf crowed as he placed the hide back into the water barrel and sealed it shut, before making his way to the second barrel and opening it, releasing an even pongier and sharper stench into the air.

"That smell's worse than the boy's bathroom" Sarah grumbled.

Rolf then pulled a tuft of hair off of the hide like it was cotton candy and rubbed with his fingertips.

"Perfect, this is ready for tanning" Rolf announced as he placed it back in and closed the barrel.

"Like at the beach, Rolf?" Ed asked in a puzzled tone.

"Not quite, Noodle-head Ed-boy" he replied as he opened the final barrel and pulled out a brown piece of brown hide without its fur, the brown coloured water dripping into the barrel as he inspected it.

"So that's leather?" Jonny questioned nervously.

"Correct, Jonny the Wood-boy" Rolf responded as he sniffed the hide "Ah, the bark of pine and oak trees. Very good, yes"

"Weird" Plank muttered.

"I've seen worse. I've seen tanneries using dog and chicken droppings for tanning" Ardan commented.

"We didn't ask you jackass!" Sarah growled as she slapped him in the face.

"Let us at least be grateful for that, Sarah" Edd advised.

"What are you doing, Whackpot?" Lee asked as she watched with disgust at the messy mass of flesh Rolf lowered into the barrel.

"As you would say, 'what does it look like, brain of a donkey'. Rolf wishes to make some useful armaments out of these mongrel's hides!" he barked back while shaking the wolf pelts in front of them.

"You mean you're going to make make some armour from animal skin?" Jimmy panicked.

"Of course, Little Jimmy, you are wearing some already" Rolf remarked as he went over to the Khajiit and prodded his brown diamond patterned vest, at which point he fainted into the cart.

"Why bother, let's just sell those rugs and buy some armour off of Alvor" Eddy argued as he went back over to the blacksmith, who was examining the gear he laid out on the table "Finest merchandise in the land, eh Alvor, so, how much?"

Alvor looked at him suspiciously, then back to the gear as he thought up the price. The gang crowded into the workshop as they waited to hear what all their spare equipment was worth.

"73 Septims"

Eddy's huge grin dripped like a stone and his eyes widened in shock when he heard his offer. Kevin and Rolf snickered at the male Bosmer's reaction.

"73 Septims!?" Eddy repeated "That's at least a thousand gold worth of war kit there!"

"Any oaf with half a brain can make weapons from iron" Alvor explained as he picked up the war axe and held it in front of him "And you must be mad to think the Empire or the Rebels would want their own equipment back for that much, especially in this state"

Looking down, they saw the Imperial light armour still bearing the scorch marks from Edd's magical fire, as well as the holes in the Stormcloak armour left from Ed's swords.

"Ok, then how much is… that?" Eddy asked as he looked over the blacksmith's wares, before pointing at a large metal disc sitting on two long pieces of crude leather.

"That? It just a set hide armour" Alvor replied as he picked it up and unfolded it to reveal the two chunks of leather to be leg armour and the metal circle to be a breastplate over a thin leather shirt.

"Yeah, how many gold coins for it?" Eddy barked.

"155" he responded.

"WHAT!?" everybody cried.

"You're ripping us off. That thing doesn't look like it could stop a blunt knife" Marie argued.

"That's because you're not meant to let them hit you. Light armour is all about movement, not protection. Most people who use this are hunters and petty bandits"

It was then that a sinister grin slowly appeared on Eddy's face, which made Edd nervous.

"Eddy, don't you think of-"

"Well then, if there are bandits out there wearing this kind of stuff, let's go find them and 'buy' theirs" Eddy announced as he pulled out his bow and began walking back to the gate they first entered.

"Eddy, we've been fighting all morning and barely got out alive. You can't expect someone to just keep going when their physically drained after all that" Edd explained, hoping to stop his best friend's irrational decision.

"Can I have mine in orange?" Ed asked as approached Eddy and walked alongside him.

"Sure, Lumpy, whatever you want" Eddy praised in his smug tone as he patted the Orc on the shoulder.

Edd face palmed before running after them, his pleas still falling on deaf ears as they got closer to the gate.

"He's gone cuckoo" Jonny commented as he twirled his finger near his head.

"He's always been an idiot, nothing unusual" Sarah spoke out loud, and soon after a screech sound emitted in the direction of the Eds.

"I'd like to see you lot come up with a better idea!" Eddy barked back as he stood proudly in their direction.

"You could always work for the lumber mill?"

Looking at the workshop entrance, they saw Dorthe standing with her arms folded as she watched them.

"The what?" Plank mumbled.

"The lumber mill, Gerdur is always looking for extra workers. You could make some good money, especially since there are so many of you" she described.

"Really, well then where is it?" Eddy asked out of curiosity.

"Over there, the building with the water wheel" she replied as she pointed to the other side of the river.

"See, was that so hard?" Sarah sneered.

"And what are you doing here?" Lee questioned.

"I normally watch dad working the forge" she responded as she walked past the crowd over to Alvor "And mom wanted me to get his soup bowl for the washing up"

She picked up the empty bowl and spoon from the table before making her way back in the direction of where her mother was almost finished cleaning the cooking pot.

"Listen, Alvor, Flathead has always tried his luck when it involves money" Kevin stated as he thumbed in Eddy's direction "But could you give us a break. We only need some new threads so we don't stick out like a sore thumb"

The blacksmith pondered for a moment over the red-headed Nord's words, until someone made him an offer.

"80 Septims" Jimmy offered, earning the blacksmith's attention.

"74" he countered.

"78" Jimmy remarked.

"75" he went on.

"Deal" Jimmy accepted and shook Alvor's hand before he reached for his coin purse and began counting out the exact amount they agreed upon.

"Sell out!" Eddy snapped.

"Oh, and like we haven't seen you act as one before, Eddy" Edd commented as he remembered when he and Ed were wedged by Kevin for money to pay off Sarah's debt against their will.

"Say's the biggest rat of all, teacher's pet" the male Wood Elf remarked as he pointed to the time the male Breton played a part in hand-delivering both his and Ed's report cards.

As the Eds argued and Ed watched on, Jimmy received his gold coins and pocketed it away in his knapsack, while Nazz turned to Rolf and looked down at the wolf pelts in his arm.

"Um, Rolf" she called, earning his attention "How long will it take to turn those furs into leather?"

"A good tanner takes about four days for a proper job" he replied.

"Four days?!" the gang shouted.

"We can't wait that long" Lee argued.

"Let me have a look" Alvor said as he went over and thoroughly inspected the pelts.

"No meat or blood, well cleaned, a bit of salt on the skin" he commented as he continued for a moment before turning to Rolf "This is very good. You know how to skin beasts well"

"Rolf has sunk his pocket knife into many an unfortunate mongrel sheep stealer"

"Tell you what. You give me those pelts and I'll give you the leather you would get out of them from my own stock" Alvor offered as he held out his hand to him.

"Rolf accepts your proposal" he agreed as he shook his hand, before Alvor went back into his home to get the materials needed.

"We should go check out the lumber mill and see if we can make some money" Ardan suggested.

"No way, we're going to get the bandit's kit" Eddy argued.

"All those in favour of hard work" Kevin called out, to which everyone except Eddy and Ed raised their hands.

"All those for a slow and painful death" Sarah snickered as she saw the two remaining Eds raise their hands.

"No fair!" Eddy complained.

"Quit blabbing, shortcake, the last thing we need is you getting hurt" Lee taunted.

"Or any of us, really" Edd added as he walked onto the wooden pier that spanned across the river over to the lumber mill.

With the rest of the gang and a reluctant Eddy following him, they made it to the other side and noticed that the river flowed behind a stack of huge logs, effectively forming an island wide enough for the building to occupy the right and a path on the left.

A male Wood Elf with grey-white hair in a ponytail wearing a green shirt, brown pants and black sleeveless overcoat was busy placing small chunks of wood onto a larger one and chopping them in half with a hard strike of his axe.

The lumber mill was built of stone with a wooden ramp leading to the high floor overlooking the town complete with a wooden roof on tall posts. The loud noises of metal clunking emitted from within the building as they decided to head for the left side to see if the boss was around. As they approached, they discovered a wooden pier jutting out into the river. Unlike the one they crossed a few minutes ago, it had a wooden roof and stopped halfway across the river, which left the gang presuming that it was meant for fishing.

A fence made of wicker bordered along the river to their left with piles of chopped angular wood lying near it. Up ahead there were two people hugging each other; one was a woman with shoulder length blonde hair facing their direction, and the other was a person wearing a familiar set of leather and chainmail armour with a dark blue sash on the back.

Everyone gasped when they recognised who it was.


	15. Chapter 14

A/N: Please visit my profile for announcements and news on updates.

"Brother! Mara's mercy, it's good to see you!" the blonde woman praised as she hugged the man in front of her.

The gang watched on unnoticed by the two as she began bombarding her relative with questions.

"But is it safe for you to be here? We heard that Ulfric had been captured..."

"Gerdur… Gerdur, I'm fine. At least now I am" he replied, the voice confirming who it was before them.

"Are you hurt? What's happened?" she asked in a worried tone.

It was then she noticed the small group standing near the pier. Most of them were clad in Imperial armour.

"Brother, run! The Legion is here!" She warned as she dragged him a few steps away.

The man looked back and stopped when he noticed who it really was.

"Ralof!" Ed cheered as he rushed over and hugged the Stormcloak soldier, much to his sister's shock.

"It's good to see that you made it" he replied as he slipped out of the Orc's grasp.

"What's going on? Who are these people?" the woman asked, confused as to why these Legionnaires have welcomed Ralof with open arms rather than swords.

"Don't worry. They aren't Imperial dogs" Ralof assured her before turning to the crowd "This is Gerdur, my sister"

"Um, hello" Edd mumbled nervously.

"Who are they then, some of your comrades?" she asked.

"Not comrades yet, but friends, I owe them my life in fact" he explained "Is there somewhere we can talk? There's no telling when the news from Helgen will reach the Imperials…"

"Helgen? Has something happened?" she repeated, before calming down slightly "You're right. Follow me"

With that, she quickly began walking ahead of them with Ralof sticking close to her and the gang following not far behind. To their right was a large pile of logs sawn in half with four longs standing as pillars to keep them stacked in place.

"Hod! Come here a minute. I need your help with something" Gerdur called out in the direction of the roofed building on her right.

"What is it, woman? Sven drunk on the job again?"

Up above they saw a man with short blonde hair standing on the upper floor of the lumber mill wearing a white shirt and black pants. He also had a moustache that ran down to his chin.

"Hod, just come here" she spoke sternly, as if she had something important to say.

The man was puzzled when he saw the small crowd of armoured folk standing near the mill, until he noticed the man wearing the dark blue sash.

"Ralof! What are you doing here? Ah... I'll be right down" he responded in a surprised tone, before walking away from them.

They continued their walk until they reached two huge tree stumps at the end of the little island and could see the stone bridge mentioned by Alvor earlier up ahead. Jonny and Plank felt a bit queasy when they first heard that a lumber mill existed in town, given how much they loved trees and forests during their childhood. Although they were grateful the whole place didn't look like a barren wasteland of sawdust and tree stumps, they were still anxious over the large number of timber surrounding them.

Just then, they heard a barking noise to their right. At the other side of the river was a huge grey furry dog running behind a young blonde-haired boy in a red tunic and black pants as they rushed across the river on a wooden pier nearby. The boy rushed up to Ralof, and like Dorthe, began playing one hundred questions without letting him answer them.

"Uncle Ralof! Can I see your axe? How many Imperials have you killed? Do you really know Ulfric Stormcloak?" he asked rapidly.

"Whatever sweets these kids are eating, I want some" Lee whispered to her half-siblings as they watched the hyper kid as he kept questioning his uncle.

"Same here" Marie agreed.

"Ditto" May nodded.

"Hush, Frodnar. This is no time for your games. Go and watch the south road. Come find us if you see any Imperial soldiers coming" Gerdur ordered.

"Aw, mama, I want to stay and talk to Uncle Ralof!" the boy pouted as he refused to move a muscle, yet he felt conflicted on his stance for some reason.

"_There's a second road leading to this village?_" Edd thought as he looked around, before noticing it to his left where the boy came running from, complete with wall and wooden rampart bridging over the arch as it allowed the road to travel in the direction of some steep mountains.

"Look at you, almost a grown man! Won't be long before you'll be joining the fight yourself" the Stormcloak soldier remarked as he crouched to his level and patted him on the head.

"That's right! Don't worry, Uncle Ralof, I won't let those soldiers sneak up on you" Frodnar cheered as he ran back across the river, with the dog close behind.

Ralof went over and sat on the tree stump to his left. The gang looked over at the remaining stump and saw an army of ants crawling all over it; so Kevin, Nazz, Jimmy and Sarah joined Ralof and took a seat. It was then that the man known as Hod arrived, stopping next to Gerdur.

"Now, Ralof, what's going on? You all look pretty well done in" he asked.

"You don't know the half of it" Kevin remarked.

"I can't remember when I last slept..." Ralof sighed, his tired expression clearly visible "Where to start? Well, the news you heard about Ulfric was true. The Imperials ambushed us outside Darkwater Crossing, like they knew exactly where we'd be. That was... two days ago, now. We stopped in Helgen this morning, and I thought it was all over. Had us lined up to the headsman's block and ready to start chopping"

"And that's just the tip of the iceberg. They framed us for being spies and had us up for beheading as well. We didn't even know there was a war when we came here" Eddy added, with Edd silently admitting he was getting into the swing of things.

"The cowards!" Gerdur snarled, while Hod shook his head in disgust.

"They wouldn't dare give Ulfric a fair trial. Treason, for fighting for your own people! All of Skyrim would have seen the truth then" Ralof continued, the gang hanging off of every word of his story

"_This is more complicated that it seems_" Nazz pondered mentally as she placed her hand under her chin.

"But then... out of nowhere... a dragon attacked..."

The two adult Nord's eyes almost pop out of their sockets and their pale skin looked like pure snow when they heard the last two words.

"You don't mean, a real, live..." she mumbled out loud in a shakey voice, the sign of fear present in both her and Hod.

"He ain't lying" Sarah admitted.

"I can hardly believe it myself, and I was there. As strange as it sounds, we'd be dead if not for that dragon. In the confusion, we managed to slip away" he explained, he paused when he noticed something that made him anxious "Are we really the first to make it to Riverwood?"

The gang looked around and realised that that the skies were approaching early afternoon and that their supposed pursuers were nowhere in sight. No Imperial Legions, no soldiers, no scouts. Nothing.

"Nobody else has come up the south road today, as far as I know" she answered.

"We haven't seen any soldiers on our way here either" Nazz pointed out in the direction of the road they used earlier.

"Good. Maybe we can lay up for a while. I hate to put your family in danger, Gerdur, but..."

His words came to a halt when Gerdur raised her hand.

"Nonsense. You and your friends are welcome to stay here as long as you need to. Let me worry about the Imperials" she assured him, before turning to the small group surrounding them Any friend of Ralof's is a friend of mine"

She then went over to Ed and pulled out a small brown object out of her pocket.

"Here's a key to the house. Stay as long as you like. If there's anything else you need, just let me know" she explained as she held out the item to the Orc.

Ed accepted the key and stared at it with awe, while the rest of the gang watched in surprise at how not just one, but two people were willing to help them out, and all for just saying the D word.

"_These dragons really must be serious trouble for these folks to be scared just from us telling them_" Jimmy thought.

"_Cha-Ching!_" Eddy cried mentally at the possibilities of such scaremongering, that was until Edd poked him in the ribs and gave him that stern 'Don't you even think about it' look that he knew all to well.

"Thanks, sister. I knew we could count on you" Ralof praised.

"I ought to get back to work before I'm missed, but... did anyone else escape? Did Ulfric..." Gerdur stammered, the worried look on her face making it all to clear.

"Don't worry. I'm sure he made it out. It'll take more than a dragon to stop Ulfric Stormcloak." he reassured with a proud tone.

"I'll let them into the house and, you know, show them where everything is..." Hod suggested.

"Hmph. Help them drink up our mead, you mean" Gerdur remarked with a chuckle "Good luck, brother. I'll see you later"

"Don't worry about me. I know how to lay low" he reminded as they watched her walk back to the lumber mill.

"You got that right" Ardan admitted "Where the heck did you go after Helgen?"

"I couldn't chance taking the roads, especially with Imperial scouts using them to send messages. So I made for the woods until I reached Riverwood. My sister runs the lumber mill here, and I used to live here before I left to join the Stormcloaks" he explained.

"Oh yeah" Plank commented as he thought back to the roll call in Helgen when his hometown was mentioned.

"Wait, you left a neutral region to join a rebellion?" Edd asked in disbelief.

"Of course, Skyrim deserves to be free, and Ulfric will make sure she is" he replied proudly.

"But why are you fighting the Empire?" Jonny questioned.

"Surely even down in Cyrodill people have heard news of the war in Skyrim?" Ralof asked in a bewildered tone.

"Sorry, we didn't have time to know on our way here" Jimmy replied, earning a sigh from the rebel.

"The Nords are tired of spending our blood fighting the Empire's wars, and paying for the Empire's decadence with our taxes. Ulfric is our rightful High King. He's leading the fight to drive the Empire out of Skyrim, once and for all" he explained.

"Can't argue with that, especially the taxes part" Eddy admitted as he rubbed his nails against his chest.

"Now if you don't mind, I'm getting some proper food. And a proper bed" he finished as he stood up and began walking in the direction of the south road.

"Hey, wait" Kevin called out, causing Ralof to stop "We were going to find work at the mill. Who do we go to?"

Ralof laughed while running his hand through his hair.

"Gerdur owns the place. This whole town wouldn't exist without it. I used to work here myself, until the war broke out that is" he explained, much to the gang's surprise.

"Wow" May gasped.

"Then who's the guy that was next to her?" Sarah asked.

"Hod is her husband, and my brother-in-law. He makes sure the mill keeps works and the logs are ready for carting down to the docks" he answered.

"Rolf isn't surprised considering this is a land where the women can face as big a chore as the men"

"Thank you, Ralof" Edd concluded as they watched the blonde Nord walk away, checking left and right for anything suspicious as he went past the crossroad "Now we know who to address to"

As the gang followed the robed Breton back to the mill, they saw Gerdur standing over a table with letters and notes strewn over a large book. She stopped reading them she noticed the group approaching her.

"Is there something I can help you with?" she asked.

"Yeah, we need some money, and we heard that you were hiring" Kevin replied.

"Of course I am. I have huge orders to fill and no one has been passing through here for weeks. You can start by helping Hod at the mill with those longs" she instructed as she led them to the ramp.

Just then, Rolf noticed Alvor returning to the workshop across the river with the leather he promised. Not wanting to keep him waiting, he made his way over to the walkway linking back to the mainland.

"Where are you going, Rolf?" Nazz questioned.

"To make some protective coverings that don't raise eyebrows, she-who-makes-soft-men-melt" he answered, which reminded him of her boyfriend's tendency to repair his bike, snapping his fingers as he pointed to him "You should come too, Kevin. Your abilities may be useful. Oh, and the buck-toothed Kanker as well"

Although unsure as to why Rolf wanted them, Kevin and May followed him leaving the rest behind. Gerdur hadn't noticed as they reached the top of the ramp and saw Hod standing to the left next to a smaller pile of logs.

"Hod, I've found someone willing to help you out" she informed.

"If they have the strength, then welcome aboard" he remarked.

"Don't worry. Old Bonehead here can get anything you need done, for the right price that is" Eddy boasted while rubbing his fingers together.

"We pay a fair wage. Just follow Hod's instructions and you'll do fine" she said before heading back down the ramp.

"So you saw the dragon too, did you?" Hod whispered.

"Um, yeah" Plank admitted sheepishly while looking at the floor, which he regretted after seeing all the sawdust that covered it.

"Tell me, what was it like? As big as a house?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"Oh, much bigger than that" Edd replied while looking around for an example "As big as… that building over there"

Everyone looked in the direction of Edd's finger as he pointed at the thatched wooden structure on the corner of the crossroad touching the south road and the road to Whiterun. It was far bigger than Alvor and Sigrid's home, elevated off of the ground and had a sign hanging off of a post where the stairs lead up to the entrance.

"Well I'll be, that would be a sight to see" he marvelled, but stopped when he noticed the frowns he was getting from his workers "Not that I want to see him, understand. Ha, I hope that dragon stays far away from here"

"Funny, 'cause it was flying in this direction last time we saw him" Marie remembered.

Hod froze on the spot once he put two and two together, and figured out that the dragon had flown over Riverwood without him noticing it.

"Um… anyway, let me show you how the mill works" he stammered as he picked up a large one-handed hook in one hand while tugging his shirt collar with the other "First, we have to move these logs down onto the carriage"

The rest of the gang watched on as Hod went over, stopping between the logs on the left and the 'carriage' on the right. He swung the hook into the log next to him, and after making sure it was secure, he heaved it onto his left shoulder with his right hand holding onto the hook and his left hand keeping it from falling onto the floor. No sooner than he had it on his shoulder did he lifted it over his head to his right side and removed the hook, before dropping it into the carriage, bouncing on the frame before stopping in perfect alignment with it.

"Holy crap" Eddy piped in astonishment.

"I'm surprised he's still standing after that" Lee commented.

"It's easy, do it quickly and you'll be fine" Hod responded while walking on the right side of the carriage and approached a lever similar to the one back in Helgen Keep.

He pushed it to the other way and the clicking noises began once again. Suddenly, the log began moving slowly along the floor by two wedged prongs running on slits in the floor. Up ahead a huge metal saw moving up and down near the leaver right in the path of the carriage, and the log. After ten minutes, the blade started cutting into the log as it continued travelling down its now sealed fate. Jonny and Plank squirmed as they watched it get torn in two, firing more sawdust into the air.

Nazz on the other hand was staring at the building Edd pointed out earlier and wondered what it could be. Intrigued to explore, and reluctant to let her spine snap in half from lifting extremely heavy objects, the female Breton nudged Edd and gained his attention.

"I'm going to check that place out. Might have something useful, like a shop" she whispered while pointing at said building.

"Agreed, I was going to see Ralof and gather more information about this land anyway. Take Sarah and Lee with you, just in case" he agreed.

With a nod, she went over to the two redheads and whispered her intentions. She wasn't going to take any chances after what happened back in the jail cell.

"Sure, why not, better than watching paint dry" Lee surmised as the log only made it a quarter of the way through the cutting phase.

"Yeah. Besides, Jimmy wouldn't last long doing this kind…of…work" Sarah trailed off when she noticed the lacking presence of a certain effeminate feline "Where's Jimmy?"

000

The man in question was standing on the end of the pier jutting out over the river pulling a rope out of the water with all his might, until a wooden bucket attached to the end of the rope emerged from the river. With the container filled with fresh water, he dropped his knapsack onto the deck and pulled out a rag cloth and unfolded it to reveal a small collection of flowers that have been slightly flattened during his travels.

He picked up a red one and stared at it, hoping he knew what he was doing. Breathing deeply, he bit off the flower petals, followed by the stem and chewed on them, before drinking a mouthful of water straight from the bucket. After swirling it in his mouth for a few seconds, he noticed a bitter taste yet swallowed it rather than spit it back into the river. Despite feeling slightly strange, he reached down for a purple flower and brought it up to his mouth.

"Jimmy"

The Khajiit immediately hid the flower behind his back as he spun around to face his annoyed best friend and the two other women standing nearby.

"What the heck are you doing out here?" Sarah queried, her eyes looking down at the flora lying near his feet.

"I was, uh…" he stammered as he tried to think up a fib, but soon gave up with a defeated sigh "I was trying to fix my bad breath, after what happened in Helgen"

They were baffled until they remembered when Jimmy threw up after witnessing an execution, and a freshly skinned bear back in the cave. They all looked down at the object in his hand as he loosened his arms.

"With flowers?" Lee questioned.

"I read about it in a book I borrowed from Ardan's mother. It was meant to be a cake baking one, but I ended up with one filled with weird alternative methods, although it was far less weird than Rolf's methods. When I saw the plants blooming as we headed for Helgen, I remembered a recipe for toothpaste from the book" he explained.

"Again, with flowers?" Sarah repeated in a doubtful tone.

"Well, it was actually meant to be rosewater, but I couldn't find any and picked these ones from the roadside as we walked" he continued.

"Got to give him credit there, Sarah" Nazz admitted.

"That's an understatement" Sarah exclaimed as she remembered the rancid stench of Jimmy's breath back at the cave exit.

Jimmy sighed in relief and ate the purple flower, before washing it down with some water.

"Mmm, tastes nice" he described and reached down for to try out the blue one.

"Last one, buster. We've got work to do" Sarah ordered, causing Jimmy to stop and object to the notion of being squashed by heavy duty lumber.

"Don't worry, this doesn't require a lot of human strength" Nazz assured, the Khajiit sighed in relief.

"More like superhuman strength is needed back there if you ask me" Sarah reckoned as she thumbed over her shoulder to the lumber mill.

"Isn't that what brothers are for?" Jimmy asked sarcastically.

Sarah laughed out loud along with Jimmy, Lee and Nazz.

"Yeah, right after being stupid" Sarah concluded.

"Come on, let's check the place out" Nazz declared as they walked away.

Jimmy quickly chewed the blue flower and downed it with as much water as he could. It tasted like weak peppermint, and so he packed up the remaining plants and packed them away before running after the three girls.

000

"What do you mean you won't work? We need every penny we can get" Eddy complained.

"Sorry, Eddy, but we just can't. You know how we feel about these kind of… things" Plank hinted in the direction of the log as it was finally sawed in half, splitting apart as it left the blade and pushed out onto the huge pile they saw earlier.

"Oh, and you're just going to slack off then, eh?" Eddy asked, boasting like the know-it-all he always was, at least in his eyes.

"No, we're going along with Edd and find Ralof. Might find some stuff someone doesn't need as well" Jonny replied as he followed they followed the male Breton down the ramp.

"Tree Huggers!" Eddy yelled as he walked back furiously and noticed only Marie, Ardan and Ed were the only ones left "Well, what are you waiting for, get to work!"

After which the male Bosmer then walked over and picked up a metal hook and tried to pull a log onto his shoulders, with little success.

"Allow me, Eddy" Ed offered as he picked up a spare hook and hoisted it onto his shoulder dangling over the short statured elf for a second before dropping it into the reset carriage.

Eddy grumbled while hopping over the log and speed walking for the lever, struggling to activate it until it jolted and threw him head first into the wooden saw frame.

"Well, those two seem to have this sorted" Marie stated.

"Apparently so" Hod agreed as he leaned against the railing with his arms folded as he witnessed it all "Come with me. I have more work that needs doing"

As they followed him down the ramp, they came across the same grey-haired Wood Elf from earlier chopping wood in half. When he looked up, he gave a surprised look at one person in particular.

"Greetings, sister Elf. Good to see a familiar face so far from home" he welcomed as he reached out with his free hand "I'm Faendal, and you are…"

"Marie, and don't get any ideas" she replied while giving him a crushing handshake.

"Relax, he's already set his sights on a local lady" Hod reassured her, earning a glare from Faendal as he flexed his after Marie released it from her grip "Anyway, you can have lunch, Faendal. These two will cover for you"

"All right, nice meeting you Marie, and…" he said as he focused on the brown-haired Nord.

"Ardan" he replied.

"Right. Anyway, see you later" he finished as he handed him the axe he was holding and headed for the walkway.

"So what are we cutting up?" Marie asked impatiently.

"Firewood, and lots of it. We need enough for the whole village if we're going to stay warm tonight. If you manage to have any extra left over, I'll pay you extra" Hod explained.

"What do you do with the extra timber?" Ardan questioned.

"Sell it of course. Breweries, soldiers, anybody who needs it fast or just can't cut down a tree themselves" he responded as he picked up a spare axe lying against the logs and handed it to Marie "If you need me, I'll be up in the mill. We've got a lot of catching up to do"

After he left, the two looked down at the pile of circular wood on the right, and the angular chunks of wood lying around a log slab about half the size of the tree stumps to the left.

"Alright, what are you waiting for? Show me how it's done" the Dark Elf barked impatiently.

"Eh?" Ardan spurted.

"You're father worked in the freaking forest! You must have seen him chopping trees with on something like this!" she yelled as if she was trying to instruct Ed.

"It ain't rocket science, Marie" Ardan grumbled as he removed his gear and left them against the logs, before picking up a circular piece of wood and placing it onto the log slab "You just have to swing hard and hit it dead centre"

With that said; he raised the axe over his head with both arms and struck the sharp metal edge right down the middle, splitting it in two before they flew a few inches in either direction onto the wedged piles nearby.

Marie fumed at the Nord's remark. Not wanting to be outdone, she pushed him aside and moved a chunk of wood onto the slab. Ardan narrowly managed to duck under her axe as she swung it around and chop the object in half. She did this again, and again, until the fourth one stopped the blade halfway, leaving her with a wooden mallet. With her temper running high, she slammed it down on the slab, finally dividing and removing the object. She reached down for another chunk, when she dropped the axe as her left hand immediately grasped her bandaged arm.

"You ok?" Ardan asked, which he immediately regretted as Marie looked back at him with a mean glare.

"Of course I'm ok you moron!" she barked as she kept her hand on her arm for a moment, before grabbing her axe off the ground and returned to smashing trees into kindling.

"If you say so, just don't get worked up if that happens again" he reassured her as he shouldered his axe and walked away in search of another pile of unfinished firewood to chop up.

000

Back at the workshop, Kevin and May watched from the porch as Rolf and Alvor discussed their trade.

"A wolf pelt would normally make one sheet of leather. Do we have a deal?" the blacksmith questioned as he patted on the pile of treated animal skin he had stacked on the wooden table.

"Yes we do, especially for ones in such good condition" Rolf agreed as he handed over the three wolf pelts and picked up three sheets of brown leather big enough to make the front half of a large shirt and marvelled at them.

"Ok, so you got the leather. What are you going to make?" Kevin asked out of boredom.

"Ah, I almost forgot" Alvor spoke as he put he reached behind the pile of leather and lifted a brown book with metal corners "You might find this useful"

Rolf accepted the book, the others gathered around and watched as he opened it and read the title page.

_Basic Smiting_

As he turned the pages, they revealed a variety of armours and weapons in the form of pictures, as well as instructions for what is required and how to make it.

"Oh, Rolf himself almost forgot" he piped as he snapped his fingers and turned to the blonde Bosmer "Would you be as kind as to give Rolf the bearskin tucked away in your knapsack?"

May was confused by his words, until the memories of the bear back in the cave came back into mind, as well as when Rolf himself handed her the beast's skin for being the one to slay it. She was sceptical though.

"What for?" she asked curiously.

"The more, the merrier as they say. With the right amount of treated hides, Rolf can create a set of armour for you" he responded.

"Really?" she questioned in a surprised tone, to which Rolf flicked through the pages until he landed on a page showing a drawn picture with a person wearing armour made of brown material from head to toe.

Kevin focused on the list of materials required to make the armour, namely leather, leather strips and some metal parts like rivets, buckles and a rather large belt buckle that doubled for protection.

"Can you even make this whole thing in time?" Kevin asked.

"Absolutely, Rolf would also appreciate your talents with metal as well"

"Huh?" he said as he tried to figure out what Rolf was on about, until he remembered the times the blue-haired Imperial praised him on more than one occasion when fixing his bike "Oh yeah, that. Well, thing is-"

"Don't fret over it. It's not that hard to make something out of iron. I can show you if you like. Got a piece of work or two that needs finishing" Alvor stated as he went over to the table and began scrounging for materials.

"Really, thanks, I guess" he replied nervously "So what needs to be done around here?"

"How about smithing me an Iron dagger" Alvor advised as he recovered a piece of leather the size of a shoelace from the table and proceeded over to the workbench, crouching down to a small pyramid of blackish-grey bricks on the floor and picking up the one on top "Here's what you'll need"

After receiving what he supposed was a lump of iron and a thin piece of leather, Kevin looked at Alvor as he walked over to the forge and picked up a pair of tongs.

"You'll need this if you want to handle that ingot when it gets hot. We don't need any burned hands here" he instructed as he placed it down on the anvil next to the fire pit.

Taking the hint, Kevin stuffed the leather strip behind his back between his belt and armour. Taking the tongs in his left hand, he placed the ingot onto the anvil, before using them to place it into the fire.

"Make sure you have the embers covering it, or it will remain as cold as Nana's ears" Rolf advised as he stood next to the table "How much is one bear hide in leather, humble smithy?"

Alvor looked at the huge blanket of black fur in May's arms and could see it was in good condition even from him leaning against the railing near the forge.

"Three sheets worth" he replied.

"Rolf agrees" he said as he picked up the agreed amount of leather and proceeded over to the workbench, while May left the bear skin on top of the wolf pelts before going to watch him at work.

Without wasting a second, Kevin shoved the metal ingot into the burning cinders. After waiting for a few seconds, he noticed the bellows protruding out of the pit wall a few feet away. Attached to it was a rope, which ran up through two pulleys on the roof before going down and stopping an arm's reach away. Placing the tongs on the edge of the pit, he gave it a hard pull and forced air into the fire. For a brief moment, the orange hue changed into a white bloom until the bellows ran out of air and needed to be released, before repeating the process once again.

"That's good. Do that a few more times and you'll have it ready for some hammering" Alvor approved.

Speaking of which, Kevin noticed a hammer lying on the floor next to the anvil. So after a couple more pulls on the bellows, he grabbed the tongs and pulled the ingot out, placing it on the anvil before his right hand reached down and picked up the hammer. He struck the now white piece of iron with all his might, while the tongs kept it in place. A few strikes later, the metal faded to a yellow colour and bits of metal fell off with each strike, which was cause for concern for Kevin.

"Don't worry that's just clink left by the fire" Alvor reassured when he noticed the worried look on the face of his new apprentice "Now, reheat it when it gives the slightest hint of orange"

"Ok" Kevin replied as he kept belting down on the metal.

Back at the workbench, Rolf was busy cutting a leather sheet with a knife into thin strips similar to the one Kevin was given earlier. Once done, he divided them into four bundles and started making the real armour. Every few minutes he looked back at May, staring her up and down before he resumed carving the leather into a variety of shapes and looking back again. May grew suspicious as to why he kept doing that, until a thought ran into her head.

"Cut it out, pervert" she scolded as she folded her arms.

"What? Rolf was merely measuring you. If the armour is loose it won't be as protective and bulky to wear. Can't waste any materials as well, there's only enough for half the set"

"Wait, you can only make half of the armour?" she asked in a baffled tone, earning a nod from Rolf "How much more do you need"

"Hmm, normal cuts plus strips… Rolf requires about four sheets required"

May grumbled and took her knapsack off her shoulders, rummaging it until she found her coin purse.

"How much is the leather?" she called out to Alvor, gaining his attention as she held up the purse high enough for him to know what she was bartering with.

"22 gold a sheet" he responded, his view returning to Kevin as he proceeded to pull the now slightly rectangular ingot out of the fire for another hammering.

She pulled the string open and counted the coins in her purse, swearing under her breath when she found only 20 gold in her possession. Frustrated, she looked around and noticed barrels standing next to the homes across the street. Memories of scrounging for valuables in 'Oblivion' within the Imperial City flooded back to her, as well as the fact that almost everything that was outside was free to take without being labelled a thief. With Rolf busy carving up what he had into her new armour and Kevin being tutored by Alvor, May decided to do some scavenging.

000

Meanwhile; Nazz, Jimmy, Lee and Sarah were approaching the building they were to investigate. From the outside, it was a wooden thatched building like the rest of town, but by far the largest of them all. A large square barely touching the road stood to the left, while a rectangle formed the centre and right forming an L-shape. Two sets of stairs jutting off the balcony ensured anyone passing through has easy access to the front door.

"What is this place?" Lee queried, to which Jimmy went over to the sign hanging of the post near the stairs on at the road to Whiterun.

It showed the face of a man with curly hair and a woolly beard, his eyes were closed as he smiled with peaceful content.

"The Sleeping Giant Inn" the Khajiit spoke as he read the words above the image out loud.

"Well, that was easy" Sarah commented, turning around and heading the other direction when Nazz held her back "What, there's nothing here"

"It's an INN. You know, where people coming and going through town like, stay and eat and talk" Nazz argued.

"So" Sarah shot back, causing the blonde Breton to shake her head as she rubbed her temple.

"Look, if there's anywhere we can get the latest news around here, it would be this place. And we need every shred of info we can get about this land if we're going to survive" she explained, Lee and Jimmy held their chins thoughtfully as she spoke.

"She's on the money. Let's check it out" the Altmer agreed, following Nazz as she went up the stairs, along with a disgruntled Sarah and a silent Jimmy.

Nazz turned the door handle and pushed forward. A blast of warm air hit her as she was greeted to a room with a long fireplace occupying the centre of a rather long hall. Tables and benches were lined up along the walls, all of which were empty, except for a brunette Nord in a green tunic, who was drinking out of a grey mug with his back facing them. What walls that weren't taken up had barrels and firewood grouped together.

As the four visitors entered the premises, they noticed a counter at the far left side of the hall. Behind it stood a man with pale skin and dark brown shoulder-length hair wearing a white shirt that was in need of a wash, who was stared at them as if they were the focus of the whole room.

"Orgnar" a female voice called out from the open doorway to the right of the counter.

When no one answered or responded, a woman with fair skin and blonde hair tied up in a ponytail reaching her shoulders entered the hall. She wore a blue and brown dress, and did not look happy as she stared down the man behind the counter.

"Orgnar! Are you listening?" she repeated more sternly.

"Hard not to" he responded as if it were nothing, still staring down at the little group.

"The ale is going bad. We need to get a new batch" she spoke, until she noticed he wasn't looking at her and walked up to him "Did you hear me?"

"Yep. Ale's going bad" Orgnar repeated, his eyes never leaving the three girls and Khajiit.

"I guess you don't have potatoes in your ears after all. Just make sure we get a fresh batch in soon" she remarked, before heading over and grabbing a broom.

The tense silence after the scuffle was broken by the sound of a drum, causing Jimmy to jump. Standing near three wooden arm chairs and some white rugs just a few feet from them was another Nord with blondish-brown hair reaching his shoulders, wearing a blue tunic and a small brown sleeveless overcoat, banging the palm of his hand against the skin of a drum the size of a bucket.

Nazz took the lead as she headed straight for the counter. The rest followed her, passing the blonde woman with the broom as she swept the stone floor.

"You're those visitors, been pokin' around" she chatted.

"Maybe, maybe not. Why do you ask?" Lee remarked.

"I'm the innkeeper. It's my business to keep track of strangers" she replied, which made Nazz stop in her tracks.

"Do you know all about Skyrim then?" the blonde Breton queried, hoping to strike a conversation with her.

"I'll take that as a yes then" she stated as she ceased cleaning the floor "And for your answer, yes, but not for free. You want gossip, talk to Orgnar. He just can't keep his mouth shut"

Seeing as she wasn't going to give anymore advice, they went over to the counter. Cheese wheels and a deer skull decorated the left, while green glass bottles, cooked fish and miniature barrels with taps occupied the right, as did Orgnar's elbows as he leaned against it. More barrels, as well as iron circular racks displaying various leaves and small animals stood in the background.

"What have you got around here, bub?" Sarah asked in a brash manner.

"We got rooms and food. Drink, too. I cook. Ain't much else to tell" he replied in a tone of indifference.

"So what is the news around here?" Nazz questioned.

"There's nothing much really. Most people avoid travelling through here since the war broke out. Only a patrol looking for bread and board have any news, and they only spill as much as the ale they drink; very little" Orgnar answered.

"But it seems so peaceful here, and the locals told me the war hasn't touched this place yet" Nazz continued her investigation.

"It's not only the skirmishes that keep travellers away. Anything the patrols used to keep at bay in peacetime are now running amok, ambushing anyone they see on the roads as easy prey. Wild animal, necromancers, burglars, monsters; you name it. But the bandits are the worst" he described.

"Why so?" Lee asked, as she too took an interest in the conversation.

"They act like private armies, and raid anyone who passes by them. You want proof, read this" Orgnar stated as he reached under the counter and pulled out a folded piece of parchment, handing it over to Nazz.

She opened the A4 sheet and read,

_Bounty_

_By order of Balgruuf the Greater:_

_To all able bodied men and women of Whiterun Hold. The bandits located in White River Watch have been harassing, robbing, and attacking citizens and visitors._

_A reward will be offered to anyone who kills their leader._

_-Proventus Avenicci_

"Wait; is this bounty open to everyone?" Sarah questioned.

"Pretty much, but it won't be easy. The leaders of these brigands are the toughest of them all. But I guess the Emperor's troops have better things to deal with" he warned, the gang quickly pointing their eyes downwards and remembering the Imperial gear that all except for Jimmy were wearing.

Nazz folded the letter and held it out for Orgnar.

"Keep it. The guards give me extras" he spoke.

"So does anything happen around here?" Nazz asked as she stored the letter into her knapsack.

"Hmm… I did hear that Lucan at the Riverwood Trader had his store broken into the other night" he remembered, which raised a lot of eyebrows.

"There's a shop around here?" Jimmy asked eagerly.

"You must have dust in your eyes, tabby cat. It's the building opposite the blacksmith with the balcony. Lucan has the place closed, so don't bother heading there, unless you want to stare at the front door" he remarked as Jimmy looked down at his feet in embarrassment.

"You look like you would, smartass" Sarah sneered, earning a laugh from the blonde woman behind them and a frown from Orgnar.

"What's your name?" she asked while leaning against the broom.

"Sarah" the red-headed Imperial said "And you?"

"Delphine" she responded as she held out her hand, which Sarah shook before they both sniggered uncontrollably with Nazz and Jimmy joining in.

Lee, while laughing, looked around and noticed a small table near the doorway to their right. On top was a weird contraption composed of what appeared to be a wooden board game and two oddly-shaped glass bottles.

"What's that hunk of junk over there?" the Altmer asked as she pointed at it.

"It's an alchemy lab" Delphine replied, causing everyone to gather around the table.

Upon closer inspection, the circular board had six small hollows connected to each other with likes to form a hexagon, with three larger ones inside and the largest dominating the centre of the board as more lines connected them to form numerous triangles. At the edge of the board were the two glass bottles that looked a lot like the instruments they saw in the science lab at high school.

"That could be useful" Nazz pondered as she turned left "Are you ok with us using it?"

"Long as you clean up. You know how to use it right? Mix a couple of ingredients together, see what happens" Orgnar replied, Nazz nodded back "A little Wheat and Blisterwort makes a healing potion, if you didn't know. We have plenty of ingredients for sale, too"

"Like what?" she asked.

Orgnar reached under the counter and lifted out a tray containing various oddities; including mushrooms, flowers, an egg and bowls of dust to mention a few. Nazz went over and found the wheat he mentioned before.

"Which one is the Blis-ter-wort?" she asked, struggling to say out the last word.

"Here" Orgnar replied as he picked up one to the red-headed mushrooms and placed it alongside the wheat "That'll be 54 gold"

"For a toadstool and a handful of grass?!" Sarah boomed with a look of insult on her face as she marched up to the counter "How about my fistful in your face instead!"

"Calm down, Sarah. It's ok, we'll just go out and find some other ingredients…" she cautioned when she had a light bulb appear in her head "Jimmy. Do you still have those flowers?"

"Huh… Oh yeah, here" the Khajiit responded as he reached into his knapsack and pulled out the cloth of flowers and gave them to her.

"Great, thanks" she said as she headed back to the alchemy lab and went to work.

"Do you think she can even get this thing to work?" Sarah asked as she got her rage under control.

"If she doesn't burn the place down, I'll take that as a yes" Lee noted out as she pointed to Nazz picking up a handful of twigs and splinters from a nearby bucket, before stuffing them into what appeared to be a mini-furnace bellow one of the glass instruments.

She then went over and held a twig over a candle horn, using it to light a little fire. From behind it she brought out a mortar and pestle, proceeding to pick up a blue and red flower respectively and crush them together. She then reached for the bottle of water and poured some into the mortar before mixing it together into a slightly watery paste. Then she removed the stopper on the furnace's glass top and poured the mixture into it, sealing it and watching it boil slowly from the heat bellow.

Just then, the drumming ceased. The man in the blue tunic and brown overcoat went over to a corner. He returned a few seconds later, this time not with a drum, but a strange looking guitar. It was red on the outside with a yellow inner line and a wooden centre.

"This is a local favourite and one of the first songs I ever learned. Ragnar the Red" he announced to everyone as he strummed the strings.

"It's the only bloody song you've ever learned!" the man in the green tunic complained, who judging by his accent was also a Nord, as was the man with the stringed instrument.

"You wouldn't know a good tune if it bit you in the britches, Embry. I'm sure our fine guests here would be glad to hear I, the great Sven, sing a melody common in all bars and inns across the land" he bragged as his open hand pointed in the direction of the group.

"Sven? Now where have I heard that name before" Lee puzzled as she held her chin.

"Ah, a fan who has no doubt heard from afar about my work in the art of song and music" he boasted as he reached for a mug next to him and drank from it, causing Lee to snap her fingers.

"You're that drunkard Hod talked about" she stated, causing Sven to spit out his drink.

"Have you been talking to Faendal? He'd say anything to tarnish the name of such a famous bard" he retorted in a distasteful tone.

"Then why does a 'famous bard' have to work at a lumber mill and not the inn?" Sarah sneered, smiling as she saw his ego take a drop at her question.

"A bard earns their keep by traveling to where the people are, but as I'd rather not leave my lovely home town, I have to find other ways to make coin when the roads are quiet. Besides, the fresh air and hard work is good for the body and mind" he responded, an aura of security radiated from him.

"Well you won't be getting any of that anytime soon" Lee chuckled, barely able to keep herself together, which intrigued the bard.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked curiously.

"My friends just got jobs over at the lumber mill. My brute of a brother's probably finished off what you were meant to do yourself right now" Sarah replied.

No sooner than she finished her sentence did Sven run out the door, dropping his mug and guitar onto the ground. Sarah and Lee laughed out loud, as did everyone else in the building; except for Nazz, who was focused on the alchemy lab, and Jimmy, who was staring at the instrument that was dropped not seconds ago.

The Khajiit picked it up and took a closer look at it, its elegant design and eight strings intrigued him. While he inspected it, his eyes glanced on something else on the ground. It wasn't Sven's mug, but rather a book that was being used to support one of the chair's rather unstable legs, especially given that the book wasn't exactly small. He placed the guitar down onto one of the other chairs, and lifted the unstable one up before retrieving the book, its leather cover bearing the marks of wear and tear, as well as the round imprint of the chair leg after gods know how it had been there.

Taking a seat in the only remaining chair that wasn't rickety; Jimmy opened the book and looked through the pages. The horizontal lines and strange squiggles indicated to him that it was some sort of manual on playing musical instruments. The words that filled the large blank gaps also meant that it doubled as a song book as well. Flicking over to the contents page, he found that the book contained music designed for three specific instruments; the drum, the flute and the lute.

"_A lute, so that's what that weird guitar is_" he spoke mentally as he looked back at the latter stringed instrument.

Skipping ahead to the lute section, he found a beginner's tune that was without lyrics. With no stand to hold the book, he placed it on the ground before picking up the lute and tuning the strings with his left hand. Once done, he began to slowly play the notes, carefully remembering to keep his claws retracted in case they cut the strings.

Sarah, having finally gotten all the laughs out of her, looked in Nazz's direction. The liquid inside the heated glass instrument bubbling, followed by the steam flowing through a tube to the other glass instrument. What was once a mix of blue and red was now droplets of light green rolling down glass into a small pool at the at the glass bottom. The liquid just started to flow over and down the nozzle slowly, before dripping into to the centre hollow of the board. Nazz gave it an inquisitive glare before dipping a finger into it and tasting it. Almost immediately she spat it out, leading to the Altmer walking up to her.

"Well, what did you cook up?" Lee asked.

"Definitely not a potion, so I don't know if this foul stuff is meant to be poison or those two flowers just don't get along" she described as she wiped her lips.

"If it doesn't hurt you, it's just a bad combination. Alchemy is all trial and error" Delphine stated.

"Right" Nazz spoke as she looked for something to clean up the mess.

To the left of the table, she could see two buckets, one filled with water and the other empty with a rag lying in it, although the inside was stained with strange colours. Suspecting that this was the cleaning kit, she began to wash the centre board and the funnelled instrument, leaving the heated one off of the fire to cool. Once all was done, there was a cloth hanging off a bucket now filled slightly with diluted green water, next to the clean bucket. She then chose a blue and purple flower this time and began to repeat the process.

000

Edd, Jonny and Plank were walking towards the crossroads, where they could hear Alvor chatting in the distance and Nazz's group just closing the door as they entered the large building. Edd wasn't sure which of the remaining buildings Ralof could be in, until he saw a familiar dog sitting near the open gateway directly ahead of them on the south road. When they approached, it immediately noticed and knocked them to the ground, lapping their faces in excitement.

"Ha ha ha, cut it out!" Jonny laughed, until the mut finally relented and allowed them to stand up.

Looking around, they couldn't see Fordnar anywhere.

"Where's your friend, buddy?" Plank questioned as he patted the dog on the head.

It responded by getting up and walking towards the house stand to the right of the gate, its walls of stone, thatched roof and log supports making it the most unique building in town. A brown cow with small horns grazed in the front lawn, though it could easily be mistaken for a yak due to its long fringe. Two hens were sitting in their straw nests near the front door. Turning the handle and pushing in, they could hear the voices of a man and a boy chatting inside.

"Wow, you escaped not only from the Imperials, but a dragon?!" a familiar young voice shouted in astonishment.

A fireplace lay directly ahead of them, with a pile of firewood lying on the left and a preparation table laden with food on the right. A dining table and three chairs stood at the left side of the home, while to their right there was a child-sized bed; complete with drawers, a chest and a bedside table. They walked across the right side of the home and saw a set of shelves lined with grey mugs and utensils next to the front door. Around the corner they saw a bar counter displaying bottles, cheese and tiny kegs on one side of the extended home. Opposite it was a small round table and two chairs; occupied by Frodnar and Ralof.

"Yes, but I couldn't have done it without those people you saw standing next to me. Without them, I would've been finished by those Legion dogs" Ralof corrected.

"Neither would we ourselves without you're guidance, Ralof" Edd added, causing the young boy to snap his head in their direction.

"Frodnar, go out and play for a while" the rebel advised.

The young Nord seemed ready to shoot back in a bid to resume their conversation, but decided not to and leave it for later.

"Ok" he sighed as he got up and looked at the dog behind Plank "Come on, Stumpy, let's go play hide and seek with Dorthe"

The dog barked happily and they rushed out the door, leaving only the Nord rebel, the male Breton, the Redguard and the Argonion alone as they stared at each other.

"So, what is it that brings you here?" Ralof asked as he went over to the bar and fetched four bottles filled with a golden liquid along with four grey mugs.

"Answers" Edd replied as he sat down on the empty chair, taking notice of the double bed, wardrobe, chest and bedside tables that stood ahead of them at the end of the room.

"_And plenty of them_" Jonny admitted mentally.

"Everybody's got questions. So what's on your mind?" he asked as he placed the items onto the table.

"Why did the Empire ban the worship of Talos?" the male Breton questioned.

"Because the Emperor submitted to the Thalmor" Ralof answered, much to everyone's shock.

"And why did he submit?" he asked.

"It was that damn treaty that ended the Great War, where he agreed to the Thalmor's demands to ban Talos, our kin, our god!" Ralof snarled as he pulled the cork off of his bottle and poured it into the mug

"This is baffling. The Imperials worship Talos with a fever to rival the Nords. Cyrodill itself has multiple places named or related to him; a chapel, an order, even a district in the Imperial city" Edd pondered as he all the facts.

"Not anymore. They now arrest anyone who worships him. So now we fight for our homeland to be free of those Imperial swine. If they think they can make the Nords obey their laws, especially an elven one, they are badly mistaken" Ralof growled as he placed the bottle down and took a sip from his mug.

The three guests looked down at the bottles and mugs standing on the table and decided to have a drink as well. Plank looked at the label and found a word scrawled along it in full capital letters.

"Mead" the Argonian read out loud, earning the other's attention "Didn't your sister mention this stuff before?"

"Of course, a Skyrim delicacy" he replied.

"What is it?" Jonny asked curiously as he finally managed to remove the cork from his bottle, followed by Plank and Edd before pouring it into their mugs.

"It's a brew made of honey and fruit, depending on the brewery" Ralof described, causing Edd to choke slightly as he drank from his mug.

"Wait, you mean this beverage is actually a beer?!" the male Breton asked in a shocked tone.

"Of course, is it too much for you to handle?" Ralof responded, leaving Edd unsure if he should take the joke seriously or be intrigued about such a strange alcoholic beverage.

It did taste like honey, with a slightly minty taste as well. It was also slightly warm, but not in a bad way, which is a plus for anyone living or travelling in an environment as cold as Skyrim.

"No, just surprised that's all. I mean an alcoholic honey beverage? Now that's interesting" Edd explained as he took a small sip.

"A bit strong though" Jonny added as he coughed slightly after taking a gulp.

"If that's so, then you should try some of the bigger names at the inns. And if you find the breweries themselves, all the better" Ralof chuckled.

"Perhaps," Edd concluded, taking another tiny sip "But anyway, what's all this commotion about Ulfric killing the High King?"

Ralof's eyes widened, though not from anger as Edd feared, but rather surprise.

"You're the first foreigner I've met to say that. Most Imperial's would rather say he was murdered in cold blood, but no. The truth is that Ulfric challenged Torygg to a duel, and he didn't stand a chance, like any bought king would" he stated, his voice becoming more venomous at the end.

"Bought King?" Jonny questioned, hiccupping slightly as the mead went into him.

"You wouldn't be suggesting that you're king was bribed?" Edd asked, to which Ralof nodded "By whom?"

"The Emperor himself" he replied, the notion of it was suspicious.

"But I must ask; that... dragon," Edd spoke, causing everyone to stop "is there something serious about its arrival?"

Ralof placed his mug down and thought for a few seconds, the look of uncertainty clearly visible on his face.

"Well, of course there is. Dragons haven't been seen in Skyrim for an age or more. Plus every Nord remembers the tales told in their youth. A Dragon, the harbinger of the end times" the Nord explained as he rubbed his chin.

"And where did they get these tales from?" he added.

"From my father, and his father, and so on" Ralof answered.

"Thank you, Ralof" Edd said as he and his friends placed their mugs back on the table next to the empty bottles "We must be going now. Looks like you could do with some sleep"

"Ha, am I that easy to figure out?" He chortled, before a yawn engulfed his laughter "That boy just doesn't stop talking. Still, I'll need all my strength to make it back to Windhelm, especially if the Legion shows up early"

"Ok then, see you later" Plank concluded as they turned around the corner.

"Oh, wait!" Ralof called out as he stood up and went behind the bar "I almost forgot"

His hand returned from beneath the counter to reveal a roughspun sack, which he carried over and presented to them.

"I managed to scrape this together while you were at the lumber mill. Just some of my 'foraged provisions' that I gathered over the months and left here when I came by and hadn't enough room to keep dragging them along" he explained as Jonny accepted the bag and looked in to find a mix of various items.

"Wow, you're a real sport. Thanks" the Redguard responded as he shook his hand, the other two doing the same before the left the building and closed the door.


End file.
